


Hell Froze Over

by MoonStarRain



Category: Daredevil (TV), Jessica Jones (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Slow Burn, Suspense, light humor, one chapter gets a little R rated ok you jerks, this fic is going to kill me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-08 06:58:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 32,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12859242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonStarRain/pseuds/MoonStarRain
Summary: "He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."-Friedrich NietzscheSet after the events of season 1 of The Punisher, Frank is still occasionally seeing Karen, going out on midnight coffee runs and brightening her days in the office with random flowers. He and Micro are keeping a low profile.Something is brewing in Hell's Kitchen, and it's only a matter of time before the city boils over.This is a Kastle work but there may be mentions of other relationships in the MCU.A suspenseful story centered around Karen Page and Frank Castle. Choices are made. Lines are crossed. You can't go back and undo what has already been done.





	1. Missing

**Author's Note:**

> I am not Steve Lightfoot. I'm not affiliated with the show in any way. But if the show wants to use anything written, by all means, hit me up.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Foggy makes a choice

Foggy sat at the bar eagerly tapping the glass of his drink.

Jessica was late. Typical. But irritating nonetheless.

He looked down at his watch. He would give it 10 more minutes before he had to head back to the office so Marci wouldn't realize he was missing. He didn't know what Marci would think if she found out he was hiring Jessica to spy on one of his friends. And he didn't want to find out, either. He just wanted to know that Karen was OK and hadn't gotten herself into trouble again. Not that he was in the position to even do anything about it. He couldn't. He shouldn't. No. He just wanted to know she was ok... that was it... just-

"Double of your most expensive Scotch please? Neat." Jessica looked like she had just rolled out of bed and plopped into the stool next to him. "Look, I don't have a lot of time. I don't do weird fetishes, I'm not your errand girl to give you creepy stalker photos of some-"

"It's not like that." Foggy held his hands up in frustration but then lowered them slowly in an attempt to show her this conversation needed to be quiet. He lowered his voice just above a whisper. "It's Karen."

"The reporter? I thought you were with Marci?" Jessica was looking around for the bartender.

"No..." Foggy shook his head. "Karen's... Karen. I'm just worried about her." Foggy could tell he was quickly losing Jessica's interest.

"Whats a girl gotta do to get a refill around here?" Jessica looked around the corner to no avail. After a beat, she reached behind the counter and grabbed the bottle of Scotch and began to pour herself another drink. She took another swig and looked back up at Foggy who was staring in disbelief. "I'm listening."

Foggy continued, "I haven't heard from her, she hasn't returned my calls. I even stopped by her office and her boss said said he hasn't seen her in almost a week. Something about needing to do research and she's insisting on doing all of her work at home."

"And I'm guessing you tried her place?" The glass of Scotch was almost gone again but at least Jessica looked a little more awake now.

"Of course. I've been by three times in the past two days and there's no sign of her." Foggy looked desperate.

Jessica rolled her eyes and let out a huff. She didn't want to do it. But guilt told her this was harmless. "Fine. But if I find her, and she doesn't want to be found, you have to understand that. Are we clear?"

"Yes. I just want to know she's ok." Foggy's phone began to buzz and Marci's name lit up the screen. He let it go to voicemail.

"I'll see what I can find." The bartender came back at that moment and Jessica used that as her cue to get up and leave as quick as possible. "Hey my tab is on the suit here," she pointed to Foggy before winking and slipping out the door.

Foggy pulled out his wallet and waited for the tab. Karen was probably ok. Maybe she was just going through a phase. It had been almost 6 months since they lost Matt. But with the news reports of the Punisher being alive... and Karen had a strange affinity for putting herself in danger... he had the right to be worried.

The bartender set the receipt in front of him. It took Foggy a good 10 seconds and he had to read, and then reread the receipt. 

"Are you serious? $255??!"

The bartender just shrugged. Foggy handed him his credit card and rubbed his face.

Karen better be ok.


	2. Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is slowly starting to normalize for Pete Castiglione. And he has finally started to give in to the Lieberman's dinner invitations.

*two weeks ago*

"Can he go with us? Please mom? Pllleeeeaaase??" Leo looked up at her mom with big, pleading eyes.

"No! We can't just leave him in the hotel all day. It wouldn't be fair to him." Sarah was cutting tomatoes into chunks and tossing them into a big wooden salad bowl. "And besides, Pete's going to be here all week with him. He'll be fine. Won't you Pete?" Sarah smiled at Frank who was down on all fours playing tug of war with the Lieberman's new puppy. 

"Gonna train him up for you guys. You go. Enjoy that big expensive vacation." Frank said sarcastically as he looked at David who still obnoxiously staring at the computer screen. 

Sarah brought the salad from the kitchen and set it on the table. "Dinner's ready. Everybody go wash up."

Leo and Zach ran off down the hall and Frank got up to wash his hands. 

"You know, next time you should invite Karen," David said without looking up from his computer. He was still intently looking at something.

"Who is Karen?" Sarah cocked an eyebrow and looked up at Frank confused as she served everyone their salads. "David." Sarah said sternly. And with one look David shut his computer and set it aside.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Zach asked as he sat down.

"How do you know her?" Leo was curious too.

Suddenly Frank had all the Liebermans (except David, who was inhaling his salad) staring at him waiting for an answer.

What would he say? They didn't have a label. He cared about her. It was complicated.

Franks phone began to buzz. An out. "Gotta take this." He grabbed the phone, got up and ducked around a corner.

"Boy do you have good timing," Frank smiled wide.

Karen laughed. "Well I was just calling to say I have to work late again tonight. But I'll probably want to take a coffee break around midnight if you're up for it?"

Frank turned to make sure there were no prying ears. The whole Lieberman family was currently engrossed in watching the new puppy bark at David who was teasing him with food.

"I think I can manage to swing by." Frank was still smiling. He looked forward to his late night coffee talks with Karen. The puppy barked in the background.

"Aw, is that the Lieberman's new dog?" Karen gushed.

"Yeah. Little guy's a handful," Frank looked around the living room. It was going to be a long week next week housesitting at the Lieberman's with their new dog. A long, lonely week. In this house. By himself. He started to pick at a piece of paint chipping off the wall. 

"Shoot I gotta go. Midnight?" Karen was always so happy to see him.

"Yeah, midnight." Then silence. Frank paused. Was that it? It felt like there was something else he should say. He waited.

Karen waited to. She looked at her phone. It felt so strange. Like a beat missing in time. She waited another second and then hung up.

Frank heard the click on the other end and shut his phone and put it back in his pocket. He walked around the corner and realized it was too quiet. His eyes were met be every member of the Lieberman family just sitting there, giving him a stupid smile. 

"What?" Frank sat down and shoved salad in his mouth. He looked down and even the dog was staring up at him. His face had to be completely scarlet right now.

Sarah and David gave each other a knowing look and let it go. Everyone began to eat again.

 

After dinner Frank insisted on doing the dishes. The kids were upstairs in their rooms and David was back on his computer again.

Sarah opened the fridge and got out a bottle of Rosé and flashed a huge grin.

"I can't believe I kissed you. I'm SO sorry." She put her hand on her face in embarrassment before she poured three glasses. 

Frank finished the last dish and set it down gently in the sink. He wiped his hands off with a towel before grabbing a glass. "Yeah that didn't exactly go over well when I got back." 

"Ha!" David laughed harshly. He then told an abbreviated version of the events that occurred after Frank got back that day. It was good they could laugh about it now. Frank was happy it wasn't awkward. 

David shut his computer and got up and grabbed a glass and toasted the air. "I mean I couldn't really blame her, you're quite the specimen."

"Ah stop that shit." Frank waved him off and finished his glass. Sarah was already pouring him another.

"No really though, open invitation. Whenever you are ready to bring her over, we'd all love to meet her," David was giving him that look again. That look that said 'I'm going to meet her one way or another, so you might as well just get it over with'. 

Frank didn't respond. He looked down at the glass and then up at the clock. It was just past 10. It was going to be hell to get into midtown right now and he didn't want to be late. He gulped down the rest of his wine and set it in the sink.

"Gotta go. Thanks for dinner." He hugged Sarah and smacked David on the shoulder and walked towards the door. David and Sarah followed him out.

"You got a date or something?" David yelled from the door and Sarah lightly smacked him.

"Always a pleasure Pete!" Sarah called out.

Frank held up one hand as he walked to his car across the street as a sign of acknowledgement. 

Yes. He had a date. Of sorts. And he didn't want to be late.


	3. Apartment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessica does a little breaking and entering.

Jessica searched Karen's apartment. No sign of a struggle. Nothing out of place really. There were a few drawers open in the bedroom. Her toothbrush was gone. There was no shampoo or conditioner in the shower either. All signs point to intentional. The fridge was empty, except for two beers. Jessica helped herself to one and sat down at Karen's desk. There were phone numbers, post it notes. Part of an address scribbled down. Something in what looked like another language? This was just a ton of shit to sort through. Not good shit even. She was going to call Foggy.  
She waited as it rang. There was one male boot print she could just barely make out in the carpet...

"Did you find her?" Foggy sounded out of breath.

"No. Everything I found leads me to believe she left on her own." Jessica stared at the boot print more intently.

"Something is wrong, I know it. It's just not like her." Foggy was insistent.

"You ever stop to wonder maybe she has another friend, or I don't know, a boyfriend..." Jessica had an idea. If there was a guy here surely there would be SOME sign of him. 

"No. That's not like Karen. She would have told me. And besides no one she works with has ever seen her with anyone outside of me and Matt," Foggy was growing more and more worried.

"I'll keep looking around. Relax. Wherever she went she packed a bag and took her toothbrush with her. Her hair products, makeup..."

"Yeah I get it. Just... let me know when you find something." 

"Aye aye cap-i-tan." Jessica hung up the phone promptly. 

She rolled the beer back and forth as she thought. She walked around the apartment again. A bank statement next to the door caught her eye. Some tiny credit union from who gives a crap town in Vermont. It was a long shot but she googled the number and called it.

"Hi! I was wondering if you could help me? I am... out of town and I seem to have left my debit card somewhere. I was hoping you could just tell me the last place I used it, I can't remember and I really just don't want to go through the hassle of getting it cancelled?... Uhh... yeah you see I don't have great service where I'm at so I'm not able to log into my online banking. Page. Karen. My social is 009-04-9876. Date of birth? May 18, 1989.... yep..."  
Jessica got a pen ready.  
"Pet Palace? Does it have a street name I can't remember which one I went to?.... uh huh... Cherry Avenue... hey thanks. Uh huh. Yeah. Ok bye now."  
Jessica hung up and proceeded to search for Pet Palace on Cherry Avenue. Nothing within 5 miles. Or 10 miles. Or 20. 

"Where the hell are you Karen?" Jessica wondered out loud.

Finally. A hit. Pet Palace 22 miles away on Cherry Avenue in Manhasset, NY.

"The suburbs? Who the hell does she know in the suburbs?"

Jessica threw the beer in the trash and closed the desk back up. She got her phone out and made a call as she locked the door from the inside and left. 

"Trish, I need to steal your car for 24... 48 hours tops and you can't ask me why."


	4. Impact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date night doesn't go as planned

Karen was stuck. There was something there, she knew it. She just needed to find the right words. Her headline had been written and rewritten dozens of times by now. She promised Ellison she would have this article done by their 2AM run.

A knock at her door startled her.

Frank slid inside and closed the door behind him.

"Hey," Karen was excited to see him, as always. It was nice that he came by. Even if it was the middle of the night when no one else was there.

"Hey," Frank couldn't help but smile back.

A few awkward moments of silence passed.

"I uhh... I need to get out of here. But I have to be back by 1 for sure to finish this up. Do you mind if I make a tiny change to our plans? I was thinking we could go for some Thai? I'm starving." Karen knew Frank wouldn't say no. But she also knew he hated trying new things. He liked rituals. Like going to the same boring coffee shop and ordering the same thing.

Frank knew what she was doing. She was asking him, but not really asking him. It was a trap. Maria would do the same thing to him sometimes. He couldn't say no. He wanted to circle the place, check it out first. He looked at her looking back at him. She was practically teasing him with her sly grin while she chewed on her pen. She knew what she was doing. But yeah. He would go. Just this one time. He cleared his throat, "yeah, sure... we driving or walking?"

"Actually... it isn't that far. Just a few blocks. It'll be quick." Karen could tell Frank was uneasy about it but she couldn't hold back her excitement.

Frank shrugged. What could he say? He opened the door for her. "Alright. Lead the way."

"Alright," Karen smiled back at him, got up and swung her bag over her shoulder and shut off the lights to her office.

 

The walk was quick, Frank had to admit. But before they went inside he insisted on doing that silly thing he always did. He surveyed the building and took a mental note of all entrances and exits. Force of habit.

They sat and ordered. It was a tiny place with only four rickety tables. Most of their business must be takeout, Frank thought. The same person who answered the phones also took their order and cooked their food. The epitome of hole in the wall. But damn was it delicious.

"So have you given any more thought to moving into the city? Rents cheap in Hell's Kitchen right now." Karen sneered at him. They had been down this road before. She wanted him closer. But she wasn't going to outright say it. They weren't there yet.

"Never really been a city guy. You're cooped up in there. Not a lot of space. Or privacy." Frank was currently renting a 2 bedroom semi-attached house in queens. It was a quick train ride to the city in a nice quiet neighborhood. Karen had never been there, but she knew where it was and had googled it once or twice. "Close to my job. I don't get stuck in traffic." Frank picked at his plate and looked up at her. 

That part was true. Karen could walk the 11 blocks if she really wanted to. But usually she took the subway. Or on the rare occasion, if she was too tired, a taxi.

But on late nights like this, which were becoming somehow more frequent, Frank always insisted on escorting her home. It was their new unspoken 'thing'.

Karen was pulled back from her thoughts. "How would I get to work? I'd have to drive into the city or suffer through an hour commute every morning on the 7 train."

Frank finished his bite of food and mulled it over. "You can do most of that stuff pretty much anywhere right?" He motioned to Karen's notebook. "I mean it's all on your computer?"

Karen wondered about what Ellison would say. Frank was technically right. She wasn't seriously considering moving out of Hell's Kitchen to be closer to him, but it would be nice to have some time away from the office. "I mean... yeah. Kind of? There are some things I need access to. But usually someone could get it for me and scan it in or something?"

Frank took that as a win and ran with it. "Okay, so... you come in, maybe one day a week, two tops, do the rest of what you need to do from your place. You'd get it done." Frank looked at her like it was the easiest decision to make.

"It's not that simple." Karen had to choose her words carefully here. She decided to just leave it be. She wasn't moving anywhere. At least not any time in the immediate future. She looked up at Frank and silently asked him not to push the subject.

They finished up their food in silence and Frank grabbed the check.

They were walking back when Frank asked, "If you can get most of that done at your place, why are we going back to the office?"

"You WANT to go back to my place?" Karen asked cautiously. 

Well shit. Frank didn't mean it that way. He would walk Karen home. They would hug. That was that. He would leave. He never went in. Going inside was not standard protocol. Karen was looking at him for an answer. He couldn't tell her that wasn't what he meant. That was not the right answer. He was on dangerously thin ice. Think about it Frank. Think carefully. He didn't know what to say so he just nodded. Idiot, he thought. He mentally cursed himself for what he had just agreed to. Going to Karen's apartment at 1 AM in the morning? This was not a good idea. He really wasn't ready for this and needed to think of something to get out of the situation. Maybe he could call Curt, or David... fake an emergency?

They were already back at Karen's office now. 

"Well I think I got everything I needed." She looked back at him and he feigned interest. 

They walked back downstairs and headed for Karen's apartment. It was a good 20 minutes on foot. The city was still so awake. The echo of rowdy people inside bars and engines revving down alleyways filled the silence between them. Frank felt like he was walking into impending doom. Maybe not doom. But he was nervous.

They only had two more blocks to go. Karen wanted to stop into the nearby bodega and get a six pack of Frank's favorite beer. He watched her go inside and took a moment to clear his head. He pulled out his phone and debated on asking Curt to call him back in 20 minutes so he could have an excuse to leave. As the cashier rang up her purchase, the hair on the back of Karen's neck suddenly stood up. Before she could register what was going on two teenagers were holding guns up. One to Karen's head, and one to the lady behind the counter.

"Don't move!" The first one shouted.

The woman behind the counter began to panic. "Please... please please..."

"Shut up! Shut up right now!" The kid yelled and pressed the gun hard into the woman's cheek.

"Don't do this. Just take whatever you want and go. You don't need to hurt her." Karen had her hands up and was trembling, more so with anger than fear. She knew Frank would have heard or seen these guys and couldn't be far. This is the last thing they needed tonight. Frank didn't need more blood on his hands. Especially not that of s bunch of dumb teenagers.

Suddenly the other kid smacked Karen in her temple with his gun. "He said shut up!" The kid grabbed Karen by her hair and slammed her face first onto the counter. At the same time the other gunman smacked the cashier so hard she fell to the floor unconscious.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Frank hiding behind a door. He held a finger up to his lips. She looked around for the other gunman. He was gathering cash and other items from behind the counter.

"Come on man, we gotta go!" The gunman still holding Karen down yelled. 

The other kid finished zipping up his backpack and as he was putting it on his back, Frank took him by surprise and wrestled the gun away from him. 

One. Two. Three shots rang out. One ended up going straight through the kid's hand. He screamed in pain and Frank wrestled him down onto the ground.

Karen used that moment to pick up a glass jar from the counter and brought it down as hard as she could on the hand of her captor. The gun that he had been holding clattered to the ground and Karen kicked it to the other side of the room and pulled her own gun on him in one fluid motion.

"Don't move! Don't even think about it." She kept the gun pointed at the now defenseless kid. She looked to Frank who had the other kid down on the ground. The kid was moaning and bleeding all over the place. Karen was breathing hard.

"They're just kids. We gotta... we gotta go." Frank sounded like he was out of breath. Was he hurt? Did he get shot? Karen was getting worried. Someone would have heard. The cops could be here any minute. She had to make a choice.

Karen looked the kid dead in the eyes. She wanted to remember exactly what he looked like. She slowly walked sideways until she found the weapon she had kicked away from him and put it in her purse. She circled back around to the back door and motioned for Frank to follow her. No sirens yet. They could still get out of here. Frank let go of the other kid and kept his gun trained on him as he walked backwards towards Karen. When Frank was safely beside her, she was able to slow her breathing and get back in her right frame of mind. 

"You should take your friend to a hospital," she said.

And with that Karen and Frank disappeared into the back alley. 

They could hear faint sirens and Frank was leading them on different route to her apartment. 

Zig-zagging ran down side streets. Frank helped Karen over a small concrete barrier. They slipped though a fence. Over a wall and across a fire escape. Karen was ready to break down. But she couldn't lose it now. She thought about that kid's face. Was that woman, the cashier, ok? "Karen, lets go!" Frank interrupted her thoughts and continued to push her as they weaved in and out of more side streets and alleys. 

Karen collapsed against a wall. A familiar wall. Frank looked around. Only one more street to go. She could see her building. 

"Come on." Frank looked back behind Karen to make sure they weren't being followed and began to walk across the street.

Karen got up to follow him. She was not more than 10 steps behind him when suddenly she heard a loud roar and was blinded.

"Karen!" 

She heard Frank yell and suddenly she felt like a brick wall had slammed into her. The wind was knocked out of her and everything went dark. She choked and couldn't catch her breath. She could taste blood and feel asphalt on her cheek. Suddenly she heard a loud crack and then rolling sounds. Rolling. Brakes. Burnt rubber. Arguing. A car door slamming. As she opened her eyes she saw Frank's body, lying lifeless on the street.

"I told you man, that WAS Frank Castle. It's the Punisher. We gotta take him in. You know the price on his head!" 

Karen knew that voice. That. Voice. Those kids. 

She didn't move as she tried to figure out what she was going to do. She heard something being dragged. 

"Put him in the trunk." She heard one of them say.

Frank. They were taking Frank.

She couldn't let that happen. She closed her eyes and gathered the strength to get on her feet as quick as possible.

She got up and pulled her gun out, pointing it at them in one swift movement.

"Let him go. Let him go..." she was still struggling to see clearly. Get it together, she thought. 

The defiant kids just stared at her in disbelief, each one dragging Frank by an arm. Frank began to moan. He was definitely banged up but too weak to fight back.

"I said, let him go!" Karen was issuing her final warning. She cocked the gun. Her eyes were stinging with tears. They were not going to take him.

Slowly, one of the kids pulled out a large knife from behind him. He held it to Frank's neck. "Either way. He's a dead man."

It was almost slow motion. The ping of the bullet shell was what registered first. Then she felt the muscles in her hands contract after she had squeezed the trigger. It had caught them all off guard. It only took one. One bullet, straight through the kid's neck. His hands went slack and he dropped the knife. He gurgled blood for a moment. He had a look of shock on his face. And then he collapsed. His friend looked down at him in disbelief and then up at Karen in horroR. He let go of Frank's arm, turned around, and ran. Karen sucked in a breath.

"Shit!" Karen bit her lip. The kid was gone. Out of reach. He knew her name. He knew who Frank was. "Shit..." Karen knew this was bad. She put the gun back in her bag and ran over to Frank. "Frank we gotta go. We gotta go Frank. COME ON FRANK you gotta wake up. Frank stay with me okay?" She touched his face gently and looked around. No other witnesses. Tears began to fall. Frank moaned and did his best to get up. Now there were more and more sirens. She couldn't tell which way they were coming from. Frank finally stood on his feet and they staggered to the front steps of Karen's apartment. 

Karen looked back at the scene, the car and the body. What had she done? They needed to get far away from here.


	5. Crickets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessica sobers up for a trip to the suburbs.

Jessica sat in Trish's car watching a truck being unloaded through her side view mirror. The Pet Palace had a new shipment. She had been scoping the place out all afternoon. There was only one employee working right now. A tall guy with freakishly long arms. She was just going to have to give it to him straight. She got out of the car and walked the short distance to the entrance. 

Tacky elevator music played in the background. God, this place is a nightmare, she thought.

The employee was beside the counter, filling a giant aquarium with bags and bags of crickets.

Not much made Jessica squirm. But this was just weird. 

"Hey Jimony, you got a minute? I need something."

The man looked up. Maybe man wasn't the right word. Freakish boy man. He had to be in his 20's but still had a baby face and from what she could tell, the reflexes of a sloth. 

"Welcome to Pet Palace, where we have all your pet's needs. How can I help you?" He said in a completely monotone voice.

He had only said 10 words and already she felt dumber being in his presence. "Uhhh yeah, my friend she came here the other day. I need to know what she got. And if you saw anyone with her."

"Lot of people come here." Captain sarcasm replied.

"Yeah I bet. Listen if I give you $20 can you just cut the bullshit?" Jessica slammed $20 on the counter.

He just blinked at her and gave her a dead stare that said he wasn't going for it.

"Really? Ok fine. She took out a $50 and unrolled it. There ya go kid. All yours." Jessica rolled her eyes and huffed again.

The man picked up a styrofoam cup and slurped loudly. Another 15 seconds of staring at eachother ensued.

Jessica gave in and scoffed. "Alright THIS" Jessica used her hands to point all around "is not worth it." She took her money from the counter and began to walk out.

"Wait. We have cameras. I can let you watch them." Jessica stopped. He was definitely giving her a creepy vibe. 

Ok. She could deal with his creep. "Fine." Jessica turned around and pursed her lips. "Are they in a... back room?" She asked seductively. 

The dope smiled and walked over to the "employees only" door. And winked. 

Screw it, Jessica thought. So she followed him back.

The minute they were through the door she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him. 

"Ok, here's what we're going to do, I'm going to check out that security footage, and you're going to be grateful that I didn't break both your wrists." Jessica leaned in closer to his ear. "Think of what that would mean, and how much you would miss it."

And with that, Jessica let him go. 

 

After almost two hours of watching people spend unnecessary amounts of money on overpriced cat beds and elaborate hamster cages, there she was. Karen Page. In the flesh. The camera was grainy but she looked... happy? Definitely not distraught. 

Jessica wrote down the time stamp on the video. Four days ago. 

She watched as Karen roamed the aisles, picking up random items. A bag of something? "Hey! Cricket creep!" She yelled for the guy.

He came to the back and looked at the screen. 

"Her. This woman." She pointed to Karen. "What did she buy? Do you remember?" Jessica was confused as to why Karen was at a pet store, over 20 Miles away from where she lived, when she didn't own a pet.

"Ohh, yeah... I remember her now. Bought a bunch of stuff. Puppy chow. Dog toys. Guy paid in cash and she bought some rope toy or something with her card. I remember because the guy got mad about something." He looked like he was trying to remember something. "Real nice lady. Guy looked like an asshole."

"Guy?" Jessica looked back to the screen. She didn't see anyone with Karen. She reversed the tape and replayed it.

There was Karen, walking into the store... and suddenly Jessica saw him. About 5 steps after she walked in, a broad shouldered man in all black pants and black shirt, wearing a hat and making an effort to hide his face from view of the camera.

Jessica had the strange feeling she should know him. She just looked at the screen and wracked her brain. 

"Who are you?" She mumbled to herself.


	6. Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen and Frank figure out how they are going to get out of the city.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breath.

Out.

Karen was standing in her bedroom looking at an empty duffle bag on her bed.

She couldn't remember if it had been 10 minutes or 10 seconds since she had set it there. 

Suddenly the memory of Frank's voice yelling her name echoed all around her.

Every nerve in her body felt like a rubber band that had just snapped.

She could hear Frank shuffling around in her bathroom.

She looked at the duffle bag. 

Basics. Just take basics, she thought. Don't make it look suspicious. 

She opened her dresser drawers one by one and took out just a few things. Jeans. A few shirts. Some sweats. She looked around her room. The picture of her, Foggy, and Matt, the one that had been taken at Josie's the night they had taken their first case, caught her eye. It seemed like ages ago that the three of them-

"We should go." Frank stumbled in. He followed Karen's gaze and looked at the picture too, and then back at her.

"Yeah, I just..." Karen took a deep breath and started to zip up the duffle bag.

Next to the bag on her bed, her phone began to buzz.

"Shit." She looked to Frank as she picked up the phone. She showed him the name on the screen. "It's Ellison." She tried to calm herself down. Third ring. She needed to answer. "Ellison, listen, I'm so sorry I-"

"KAREN WHERE ARE YOU?" Ellison sounded panicked.

She had to think of something quick, "I... I wasn't feeling well so I came back to my place-" 

"Stay there. I might have something and I need you to go. We have a lead on a shooting in Hell's Kitchen, I think it was close to your apartment. Karen, did you hear the gunshots about 20 minutes ago?" Ellison waited for her response.

Karen was in disbelief. She was at a loss for words. Could she really go down there and interview the police about her own crime? What if someone recognized her? Everything in her body told her she should just run. Get out of town and go somewhere nobody knew her.

Again.

"Karen, are you there? Did you hear me?" Ellison was still waiting for an answer.

"I think I heard a gunshot. But just one. Uh... but before that," she looked to Frank briefly before giving a very measured response, "it sounded like a car accident... or... something?" Karen looked back up at Frank who was giving her a very concerned look.

Frank turned away. Karen could tell he was angry.

"Good! That's good! Listen, ask around, see if anyone saw anything. Get everything you can. I want this in our mid day run tomorrow. Scrap your 2AM. I want you focusing on this and only this, got it?" Ellison was counting on her.

"Yeah... yeah I got it." Karen took another deep breath. She was really going to do this.

"Send me whatever you've got in the morning." Ellison was about to end the call when Karen cut in.

"Wait! Can I... umm... is it ok if I don't come in tomorrow?" She was hoping this would work. She had to at least try. "Or maybe... if I could just take a few days, do some research and follow up on this from home?" She looked up at Frank who was now watching her. Come on Karen, convince him, she thought. "This whole thing, right outside, I just think if I could have some time..." she didn't know what else to say. Don't oversell it Karen.

"Uh... sure? Yeah. Just take a couple days. Remember to check in, give me what you can." He was agreeing to it, at least.

Karen finally felt a little bit of relief.

"But Karen... make yourself available in case I need you." Karen mumbled a 'mhm' before Ellison ended the call.

Karen looked at her phone and slowly closed it. She could almost feel the anger coming off of Frank and dreaded what he was going to say. 

"So let me just get this straight." Frank started to pace. "You're gonna... you're gonna what, now? Go down there? In front of all those people... all those police?" Frank was getting in her face now. He pointed towards the window. "Go ask 'em some questions? Bout shit you already know the answers to?" He was furious.  
The blues and reds of the police lights were flashing across the walls of Karen's bedroom now.

But Karen was equally pissed. "What should I do then? I didn't ask for this. It would look worse if I just left."

Frank was shaking his head. "No... no... I can't let you do this."

"You can't let me? I did this! And this is my job!" Karen was seething. "Listen I have the chance to get us out of here. Safe. Give me... give me just 10 minutes... 10 minutes to get some quotes and... and... " Karen was trying to get him to understand. She had to do this. 

She regained her composure. "I need to make it look like I'm just there to do my job, and then we can go." Karen wasn't going to give up. She had made up her mind. She was going to make a stand and she wasn't going to back down. 

"I have the chance to get the breaking story on this. I can lead the narrative and find out what they know. Maybe even get a name for the other guy that was with him." Her face hardened and silently she was saying 'Yes Frank, remember the witness? The one that got away? He's still out there'.

Frank looked at her. He just looked at her in disbelief. She was doing it again, twice in one night. Saving them. He put his hands on his temples and let out a long sigh. 

He turned to her and put one hand on each of her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "10 minutes. And then you come back up here, and we go. You gotta promise me that. You promise me Karen. Because I am NOT leaving here without you." 

Karen looked back at him. Frank looked... afraid? Worried? She swallowed back her tears. She hadn't slept and was running on adrenaline. "I promise."

Frank took his hands and cupped her cheeks and leaned forward slightly to give her a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Karen looked up at his eyes and silently promised him again.

 

She had changed her clothes and put her hair up in a tight bun before walking downstairs. Just before exiting the main door to her apartment building she took out her notebook and looked through the glass. Mahoney was standing next to the covered body talking to the coroner. He was probably lead detective on the case. Great, Karen thought. Just what she needed. She walked out the door and crossed the street to the edge of the taped off crime scene. 

"Care to comment, detective?" Karen forced herself to be as devoid of emotion as possible.

"This is a closed crime scene Page. No reporters." Mahoney looked annoyed.

Karen scribbled nonsense in her notepad. "Is there just one?" Karen acted as if she was looking around. "Body, I mean."

Mahoney stopped his conversation and excused himself to walk up to Karen.

"You know, you guys at The Bulletin got a lot of nerve? Chief's son dies and you come around here like a vulture tryin' to pick scraps for your stories." Mahoney could instantly tell he had caught Karen off guard.

Karen's heart began to race.

"So excuse me, but like I said. Closed crime scene." Mahoney turned around and walked back to speak to another officer who was pointing down the street. 

Karen had to force herself not to be ill. Everything was spinning. The NYPD was going to use every resource available to work this case. She walked around to the small crowd that had gathered. An older woman was speaking in Spanish to one of the officers. Telling him how there were two men in the car and they ran over another man. 

She heard another officer talking on his radio about a witness who heard a man and woman scream.

Karen had had enough. She turned around and began to walk back to her apartment.

"Hey... hey! Page!" It was Mahoney.

Karen halfway turned around.

"You live here?" Mahoney waved a finger in the air towards her building. 

Karen bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah." She stared at him and dared him to question her.

Mahoney just stared back at her. "Have a good night Miss Page."

Karen turned around again and walked back into her building. As soon she was through the door she ran up the stairs as fast as she could. She needed to get Frank out of there as fast as possible.


	7. Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his investigation stalls, Mahoney realizes Karen Page is MIA.

Mahoney sat at his desk squeezing a stress ball. He had been going over reports about the murder. The chief of police had taken a leave of absence because of the sudden murder of his only son, a 19-year-old kid who had fallen into the wrong crowd.

"Chief of Police Has Personal Ties To Notorious Crime Boss"  
By Karen Page

He threw the paper in the garbage. It seemed like every time they had a lead, it went cold just as fast and they got it. Their tip line was getting bombarded with bogus information. They had four times as many tips coming in than normal but still, they had nothing. And yet, somehow, the press was able to come up with new information on the case every day.

It frustrated him. He had tried to interview Karen Page on multiple occasions, but she was impossible to reach these days. 

Something was up. So he pulled a few strings and put out an APB on Karen Page.

When 24 hours went by and they still hadn't located her, he played the last card he had. 

He called Foggy Nelson.

"This is Foggy." The cheery voice on the other end of the line almost made him feel bad for asking. Almost.

"Foggy. It's Brett. Listen, I got a favor I need to ask you. Can you meet me tonight? At 8? There's a bar on 10th Avenue and 42nd street."

"What's this about?" Foggy knew Brett didn't ask for favors.

"I can't say much, but I can tell you that you're probably the only person I have left that can help." Mahoney hoped Foggy would trust him enough to at least show up.

Foggy thought about it. If he did this, Brett would owe him one. And being owed one by the NYPD came in useful in his line of work. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll see you at 8." Foggy hung up and wondered what this was about.

 

When Foggy walked into the bar Brett was already there with a beer waiting for him. "Look at you Mr. Upper-Eastside lawyer," he teased as Foggy sat down. 

"Yeah, still trying to get used to it." Foggy took the beef and took a sip. "Thanks. I got the next round." They clinked their glasses together. And sat in silence for a moment.

"You know, a lot has happened this past year." Mahoney was fiddling with his coaster, turning it over in his hands. "I'm sorry about your friend, the lawyer." He looked at Foggy sincerely.

Foggy had had time to deal with it, but it didn't mean he was over it. "Thank you." He took a long sip. "Me and Matt... kind of had a falling out just before so..." Foggy took another drink to stifle his nerves.

"Yeah. I know you were close though. Doesn't make it any easier." Mahoney let a couple seconds go by.

"You still talk to Karen Page? How's she doing?" Mahoney let the question hang.

There it was, thought Foggy. 

Mahoney continued, "I've been trying to get in contact with her about something that came up. You talk to her lately?" 

"What's this about? Is she in trouble?" Foggy had been following the stories. Karen must be getting herself into some deep shit.

"You tell me." Mahoney was looking straight at him, trying to read his face for any sign of a lie. "Seems... no one has seen her since last week but... somehow she has sources all over the city giving her information about my investigation."

Foggy was both worried and relieved to hear that. "Sounds like she must've known she was on to something. I'd get the hell out of dodge too if I was her." Foggy kept his eyes focused on the glass.

"See, I'm curious though why someone like Karen Page randomly decided to turn a story about the murder of a kid into an attack on the credibility of a highly regarded public figure." Mahoney waited for a response.

Foggy cursed himself for getting involved in this. "Listen..." he needed to choose his words carefully. "If she's writing these things, it's because feels like she needs to. I don't know why she does it but she's not going to stop until she's exhausted every lead. And wherever she's at... she wouldn't be anywhere she didn't want to be. And I don't know where she's at." Foggy looked at him and knew Mahoney could tell it was the truth. Because it was. He didn't know where Karen was at.

Mahoney could tell he wasn't going to get anything else out of Foggy. He got up. "If you hear from her, call me. I need to speak with her. Tell her I can help." He finished his beer and set a $20 on the bar before walking out.

Foggy waited a minute and made sure he watched Brett get into a cab and leave before taking his phone out and calling Jessica.

Less than 1 full ring and Jessica answered. "I still haven't found her, OK? Nothing's changed." She sounded annoyed as usual.

"We got a problem. I just had a little visit with a detective. I think the NYPD is looking for her, too. I don't know what kind of shit she's gotten herself into but it isn't good and someone might be coming after her so I need you to find her first and warn her. " Foggy couldn't believe Karen was getting herself into trouble again. 

"Ok ok. I just don't have much to go on. She's out in the suburbs somewhere-"

"What... what are you talking about? Suburbs? You said you hadn't found her?" Foggy was confused.

"I didn't. I just tracked her down to this pet store and found these security tapes that showed her and her big scary boyfriend buying dog food. It turned out to be a dead end." Jessica was frustrated.

"Guy? What guy? Karen doesn't have a-" Foggy immediately felt like an idiot. Of course. How many times had Karen been in danger recently and it turned out Frank Castle was involved? 

"It's Frank Castle. Karen is with The Punisher." Foggy hung up the phone and slammed another $20 on the bar and left in a hurry. 


	8. Research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen is safely at Frank's, but her first deadline is approaching

Karen heard sirens in her sleep. She gasped for air and woke up. The sirens were still there, faintly in the distance, but she knew she was safe. The light was seeping out of the window. Even with heavy black curtains drawn she could tell it was just past dawn from the sound of the birds chirping. Looking around, suddenly she remember where she was.

Frank's place.

She carefully got up from the couch. A light blanket had been draped over her. She folded it and set it to the side. The living room was actually fairly tidy. There were no pictures on the walls or decorations to be had but everything looked like it had a purpose.

She could hear a low hum of electricity coming from down the hall. It was dark and she wasn't ready to venture down there yet. Karen wanted to explore but all of this was new to her and she didn't want to overstep a boundary. It was Frank's space. When they had gotten there last night she was so exhausted she just passed out the second they got in the door.

Her hands glided across the clean white counter tiles in the kitchen. The air was filled with the smell of fresh coffee brewing and she could hear the bubble and drop of the pot still going.

"You must be Karen." A voice cut through the silence.

She turned around and saw a tall, thin man with frizzy hair eyeing her from the hallway with his arms crossed. Besides the mischievous grin on his face, he looked half asleep and was wearing a robe over a shirt and pajama pants. 

She didn't say anything and kept her guard up. She looked around for Frank.

The man crossed the kitchen and took two mugs down from the cupboard and began to pour some coffee. He offered Karen a cup. "I think you're boyfriend stepped out to get breakfast. He must've have thought you'd be asleep a little longer."

Karen didn't correct him. She didn't know what he did, or didn't know. She held her coffee protectively in her hands. It was warm. And dark. It reminded her of Frank.

"I'm David, by the way." The man held a hand out to her.

It clicked in Karen's brain. This was Micro. She met his hand and gave a gentle greeting. "Karen. Page."

David let out a little laugh. "Finally. After all this time. The elusive 'Karen Page'." The way he said it made her seem like she was supposed to be a ghost.

Karen was confused. What was this about? She wasn't elusive. 

The door opened and Frank walked in holding grocery bags. He took one look at Karen and then looked to David. "Shit. He ain't bothering you is he?" 

Frank walked into the kitchen and set the bags down on the counter and began putting things away.

"How 'bout you make yourself useful and cook us some breakfast? Stop bothering her." Frank looked at David like he was warning him to say something antagonistic.

David didn't argue. He just got a bowl out and started to crack some eggs mumbling something about just trying to be nice and how Frank was such an asshole all the time.

Karen cleared her throat. "Is there a restroom I could..." 

Frank immediately stopped what he was doing and put his hand on the small of Karen's back to lead her down the hall. 

"It's right-" Frank had begun to open the door to the bathroom but Karen caught him by surprise with a big hug. She was suddenly shaking and breathing fast and her fingers were digging into his shoulders. He could feel wet tears against the side of his face and he hugged her tighter. He closed his eyes and felt her hot breath on his ear. "Shhh. It's ok. It's ok I got you." He rubbed her back and cupped the back of her head. She had killed someone for him. She was going to have to live with that. Frank swallowed hard too. And just ask quickly her tears had come they were gone. They both just stood there in silence and then slowly turned to look into each other's eyes. It had been such a long night. A long crazy night. But they were still here. They were both safe. They were together. They-

"Karen do you like your eggs scrambled or sunny side up?" David yelled from the kitchen. 

Karen couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Of course. This was how this moment was meant to be. She and Frank were still pressed together so she turned her face away and yelled back down the hall. "Uhh...Scrambled. Would be great.... thanks." She looked at Frank who was shaking his head as well. Karen looked at him for another moment and bit her lip. She let go of him and slipped into the bathroom and shut the door.

 

Frank, Karen, and David were all finishing up their breakfast. 

"So what's the plan now?" David asked as he got up and put his dishes in the sink.

Karen had been thinking about it all morning. "I need to finish my article. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't have much of a story but I need to get it to Ellison by 10." She looked to Frank. 

Frank looked back at her and then looked to David.

"Karen's got a story for the paper she's got to write. I need you to help her. We need information. Whatever the NYPD's got, we need something better." Frank gave Karen a reassuring look. If there was anyone that could help her, it was David.

David was leaning against the wall now. "Ok... so... what? What are you looking for?" He and Frank looked to Karen.

"Umm..." Karen thought. "Start with the chief of police. We need to find anything suspicious. Large bank deposits... withdrawals. Recent threats." She let out a long breath. Think Karen, think. "And for the kid. Arrest history, toxicology reports. Anything the NYPD has that they're trying to hide, we need to find it." Karen felt itchy all over in that moment. Was this what it meant to be a dirty reporter? She wasn't telling the truth, she was constructing it. This was wrong, but self preservation told her it had to be done.

David turned around and went back into his room and they could hear him clicking away at the keyboard. Karen and Frank sat at the table and looked at the clock. 8:49. They had just over an hour to make this happen.

"I guess I should go start my outline." Karen looked down at her food. She had barely touched it. Her stomach was in knots and she was still exhausted. 

She left her plate at the table and got up to get out her laptop. She set it down on the coffee table in front of the clinch. The article only needed to be a 500 word piece so she figured the general facts of the case could fill it up most of it. She typed out a brief summary, went back and edited a few things out, put a few things back in. Witness reports were easy to alter to fit her narrative. She wanted people to read her article and not feel bad for the murdered kid. She wanted them to feel... 

She didn't know. What did she want to accomplish? She just wanted this article to bring more questions than answers. She was an investigative reporter. She got up to check on David and looked at the clock. 9:05 now.

She gave two quick knocks at his door. "Hey, any luck yet?" Karen called out.

On the other side of the door she could hear movement and things being shuffled. "Yeah... yeah I think I got something."

Karen took that as an invitation and opened the door. The room was moderate size, definitely the master bedroom. There was a picture on the nightstand next to the bed of his family. Random boxes and computer parts were piled high on the opposite wall. The trash can was overflowing and there were at least a half dozen coffee mugs left in random places around the room. 

David was sitting at a large desk with 4 monitors in front of him. On one monitor there was a picture of the crime scene, the body and the car, and on the others monitors were police reports, witness statements, crime scene analysis reports...

"This car." David pointed at the screen to the car that had hit Frank. "This car is registered to a Colin McCroy." David looked back at Karen to make sure she was paying attention. "Now the name Colin McCroy might not sound familiar to you but he's actually the nephew of someone Frank knew." David hit a couple keys and up popped a picture of a man Karen had seen all over the papers before.

"Finn Cooley." Frank growled as he recognized the man he had murdered months ago. He had been watching from the doorway but was now standing over David.

"You think this kid has some sort of ties to the Irish?" Karen asked. "This is great! This is... what else can you get?" Karen was pacing now, looking at the other monitors for anything she could piece together. "This... this Colin guy does he have a record? Do you have a picture of him? Maybe he was the other one who was there?"

A few more clicks of the keyboard and another face was on the screen.

Karen's heart sank. No. That wasn't the kid who got away. "Are we sure it's not a coincidence? He didn't report the car stolen or anything?"

"No, I checked that. But there is one more thing I found interesting." David typed a few more keys. 

"The Chief's son was arrested 2 months ago for armed robbery. The only reason he was caught is because while he was fleeing the scene, he happened to run right into an off duty cop and dropped the weapon. The whole thing was covered up. The gun wasn't even logged into property records. And the owner of the store got a $25,000 wire transfer a few days after it all happened." David clicked another screen. "But the cop that turned him in..." A crime scene photo loaded on the screen. "Was shot at point blank range while on a routine traffic stop a few weeks later. No suspects. Not one. Partner claimed the driver got away and the dash cam showed the vehicle had stolen plates so the case went cold."

Karen couldn't believe everything she was hearing. Her mind was working in overdrive. She had to be careful with how she presented this information. "So I tie this kid to the Irish. I make it sound like there's more to the story, that the NYPD is covering something up..." 

Karen walked back into the living room and looked at the clock. 9:32. She sat down on the couch and began typing away.

At 9:59 she called Ellison.

"I'm sending you what I've got. Listen, my sources say this kid could tie The Chief of Police to The Irish." Karen was rereading her article one more time and then clicked 'send'.

"Karen, are you sure? Accusations like that have to be substantiated. This is something that could put a huge target on my back. The Bulletin takes enough heat as it is I can't afford to go making enemies with the NYPD." Ellison was reading through the article. "Wait this kid was The Chief of Police's son? Who told you that? None of my other sources had even gotten an ID yet."

"Mahoney, at the crime scene. He wanted me to know. He practically used it to threaten me. Wanted me to back off." Karen was looking at Frank who had been listening and was now visibly getting a little angry. She hadn't told him about her conversation with the lead detective. 

"Well he'd be right. This is big. But let's not show our hand just yet. I'm going to edit this down a bit. Do you think you can get me another piece by tonight, make it a little more polished? I want to run this as a series of articles but I want to see what kind of feedback we get from this. The mayor would have my head on a stick if I suddenly started attacking the city's officials." Elision wasn't sure how this would be received but at least he was going for it.

"Yeah, I'll start working on getting more information." Karen was relieved. 

Ellison told her she was doing good work and then promptly hung up.

Karen stood up from the couch and walked over to Frank. "I was going to tell you..." she looked him in the eyes. She knew he wasn't going to like what she had to say but she couldn't keep this from him. "Mahoney, the detective at the scene. The same one who worked on your case and the bombing... he was there that night. He knows that I live there. I think he told as some sort of warning. If anyone was going to figure it out, it would be him."

Frank nodded. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't going to let Karen go to jail. She was protecting him. He had to think of his next move. Of how he was going to protect her.

Karen nodded as well. They needed to make sure they covered their tracks. Change the narrative.


	9. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mother grieves and seeks justice.

Mahoney was waiting patiently at a table in a swanky upper east side bistro.

He felt out of place. There had to be a dozen eyes watching him, wondering what a man like him was doing there. In such a diverse city, places like this still had the air of exclusion. Every one of these people had probably been here a hundred times. They could sense an outsider like a wolf could smell prey. He adjusted his tie and looked around, silently daring someone to question presence.

"May I, sir?" A waiter holding a pitcher of ice water appeared. He was looking at him pleasantly but giving him an uncomfortable tone.

"Please," Mahoney said, pushing his glass closer and staring right back. I belong here. I protect your sorry ass, he thought.

"Very sorry we're late." A large man suddenly appeared at the table. "Traffic."

Mohoney got up out of respect.

"No, please, sit," the man insisted and waved Mahoney to sit back down.

The man pulled out a chair next to him. A woman, dressed in all black, with long, dark, pin-straight hair neatly polished to one side, and large black sunglasses, sat down.

"Detective," she said, acknowledging him and taking off her sunglasses. She leaned back gracefully and cleared her throat. The server bent down and the woman whispered something into his ear. He nodded and headed off to the bar.

"I'm assuming you have good news if you've called us here," the man took his napkin and unfolded it into his lap.

"Yes, Chief... we are... very close to new leads," Mahoney knew the case was quickly going cold but he needed to put on a good face that they were working on bringing in a suspect. But more importantly, he also wanted more information about the personal life of the Chief's son. He had hardly anything to go off of. Only a few former classmates and acquaintances had been interviewed. There was also a substantial lack of information regarding where the Chief's son was in the hours, or even days leading up to his murder. It was a precarious situation to be in, given the circumstances. He also still had the suspicion that Karen Page and Frank Castle's may be involved, but if he couldn't find direct proof it was all just a shot in the dark. He couldn't say anything unless he knew for sure, he thought.

A man came up to the table and presented a bottle of wine. "Will this do, ma'am?" the gentleman asked.

The woman simply nodded and the sommelier proceeded to uncork the bottle and pour three glasses.

"Maeve, darling, its barely 10:30," The Chief began to protest.

"I may have lost my son Jospeh, but I did not lose track of time," her bright green eyes seemed to fill with anger. She calmed herself and then encouraged the sommelier to keep pouring and took a glass.

She looked to Mahoney coldly, "These leads you have, do they have names?"

Mahoney looked to the Chief before giving a careful response, "There may have been witnesses in an apartment nearby. They may be afraid to come forward. But I assure you, we're doing all we can to locate them."

Maeve seemed to be studying him. After a few moments, she seemed to accept the response and looked down at her glass.

The Chief and Mahoney made small talk while a light brunch was served. Maeve didn't say a word, she just listened and watched the two of them discuss nothing more than simple paper work, small departmental issues, and the vile stories being written by Karen Page, a reporter for The New York Bulletin.

Maeve gave an exasperated breath and then picked up her glass again to have another drink. She stopped before it reached her lips and raised a toast. She looked at Mahoney and her husband, signaling them to do the same.

"To justice," she said.

Mahoney looked at her and after a moment, he too, raised his glass.

"To justice," the Chief said somberly.

After a few more minutes Maeve seemed to be getting anxious.

"Well, I'm off to an appointment," she set her napkin back on the table and began to get up.

The Chief helped her out of her chair and kissed her on the cheek, "I'll see you tonight then? At 7? Lincoln Center."

"Of course," she said with a half smile. She looked back at Mahoney silently and looked him up and down. She didn't trust him. Without another word she turned and left.

She got into her town car. The driver back I his seat and looked at her in the rear view mirror, "Where to ma'am?"

She thought for a moment.

"Take me to Saint Brigid," she looked out the window, staring back at Mahoney through the tinted glass as she replied.

 

After a brief car ride they had arrived at the small church.

"In the front, please. This won't take long," Maeve insisted.

The driver stopped at the front steps, got out, and walked around to open her door. Mauve stepped out and looked up at the large windows and began to walk up the steps. Thunder cracked in the distance and raindrops began to slowly dot the concrete just as she reached the entance. She pushed open the door and stepped inside and looked around. Except for two men on opposite benches just in front of the alter, the church was empty.

She looked to the confessional and walked over and slipped inside. For a minute she sat and waited. The sound of a door opening and footsteps could be heard and a shadow appeared on the other side of the wooden slats in between them.

"Bless me father for I have sinned. It has been four days since my last confession," she spoke the words, just as she had a thousand times before.

The shadow did not say anything but nodded.

"There is... someone who has information." Mauve began to grow angry. "A detective. He's hiding something."

"Do you know this for certain?" A man with a heavy Irish accent responded.

"He mentioned something about witnesses. In one of the apartments nearby." Mauve knew Karen Page lived nearby. She had a list of names of everyone that lived within a square mile of where her don's bday had been found. She thought back to the way Mahoney had mentioned Karen Page's name. She had read the articles as well. This reporter was practically smearing her husband's reputation, tarnishing the memory of her beloved son every day in the news. And for what? What reason did she have to do that?

"We haven't been able to locate The Punisher. But when we do-" the man began.

"Tell Colin to find Karen Page." Mauve cut him off. "She's the one we want." "Find her, and we find Frank Castle," she said sternly.

She got up and walked out of the confessional.

A man held the heavy wooden door open to the exterior open for her. It was now pouring rain outside. She waited for her driver to escort her back with an umbrella.

Karen Page had not been home in days but was still turning in articles. This was no coincidence, she thought. The boy who had been with her son the night he was murdered had also told her Frank Castle was with an woman.

A woman who she was now realizing matched the description of Karen Page.


	10. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank tries to maintain control

After Foggy had told her that Karen might be somewhere with Frank, it didn't take Jessica too long to find them. Just a couple hours of day drinking in Trish's car and a whole lot of patience was all it took to spot Karen and Frank at a dog park less than a mile away from The Pet Palace. 

Karen was laughing at something and smacked Frank on his chest. They didn't seem to have a care in the world and were grossly unaware of their surroundings, she thought. 

"Ugh, seriously." Jessica felt like she was wasting her time. Karen looked fine. She was smiling, happy. It was annoying. Here she was, on a wild goose chase living off of beef jerkey and licorice when Karen Page was practically playing house in the suburbs. 

She took a few photographs and then decided the gig was up. It was now or never. She had her proof Karen Page was alive and well. Now all she needed to do was what she had promised Foggy. She had to warn Karen that someone else looking for her.

She got out of the car and started to walk down the street. It was a quiet neighborhood with very little foot traffic. Jessica had on a light jacket and pulled her hood down to try and cover her face. She considered calling out to Karen but didn't want to spook her. But before she even got the chance, Karen and Frank turned a corner. 

Jessica started walking a little faster and finally got to the corner and turned.

She looked down the empty street. "Damn." She walked a few more feet, still searching in earnest in case they had taken a detour, but no. Jessica realized this was deliberate. They had vanished. 

"Shit." They must have seen her. She had probably lost her only chance. They definitely wouldn't go back to the park.

She turned around and began to walk back to Trish's car to figure out her next move.

She hadn't taken more than 10 steps before a large hand covered her mouth and an arm wrapped around her, violently pulling her behind a fence.

"I'm gonna give you one chance to tell me who you're working for and how you found us." Frank growled into Jessica's ear.

She rolled her eyes. Ok. He wanted to do this the hard way.

In one quick movement Jessica crouched and flipped Frank completely over onto the ground in front of her. 

He landed with a thud and registered a look of complete and utter surprise. Jessica immediately got down on top of him, straddling him and pinning his arms up over his head.

Frank was both angry and confused. Who was this woman? He was grunting and used every inch of strength he had to try and push her off but it was useless.

"Calm down, save your energy," Jessica mocked. She loved knocking big guys down a peg.

Frank was still huffing and grunting.

"Now it's my turn. Why are you and Karen Page out here playing house? And why is the NYPD looking for her?"

Frank wasn't going to tell her anything.

"Jessica?" Karen stumbled through a gate on the other side of where Jessica had Frank pinned. She was out of breath. She looked at them both on the ground.

"Don't worry, I'm keeping it PG. I was just asking your boyfriend here a few questions." Jessica smirked as she looked down at Frank who was now so angry she thought he might start foaming at the mouth.

"Would you let him go please?" Karen looked around. Someone might see them all out here. She didn't want to cause any attention to themselves. "Jessica come on... we can all talk at the house."

"No Karen, you go, get yourself out of here!" Frank was still putting up a fight. He didn't trust this woman. This was dangerous. He had never seen her before. And how did she find them? He was still struggling to get up.

"Frank... it's fine, I know her, she's..." Karen was at a loss for words. A superhero? A vigilante? 

"Jessica can you please just..." Karen looked at her and looked down at Frank. 

Big bad Frank looked so helpless.

Jessica signed and gave in. She got off Frank and he quickly stood up to wipe the dirt and debris from his clothes.

They all looked at eachother for a moment before Karen spoke up. "Come on. This way," and she turned around to head back to the Liberman's. 

 

Frank was standing at the kitchen island meticulously cleaning his and Karen's guns while watching Karen and Jessica talk at the dining room table.

"So Foggy sent you to spy on me, huh?" Karen scoffed. That was a new low, even for Foggy.

"No. He didn't want me to spy on you he just wanted me to find you, to make sure you were ok. He was worried. Something about how you always find trouble." Jessica took a long sip of beer and made eyes at Frank.

Karen thought about it. They weren't wrong. Somehow, eventually, she always wound up in the midst of a crisis. Maybe that was all her life was now, one moment to the next, an emotional rollercoaster of violence and danger.

"Well... here I am. I'm fine." Karen took a sip of beer and tried to act like that was the end of it. She shrugged her shoulders and kept a straight face.

Jessica burst out laughing.

From the kitchen Frank looked at Karen. His eyes said 'this one must be crazy'.

Jessica calmed herself down but still the giggles kept escaping. "Ok... ok... CLEARLY something is going on. You... and muscles over there... you're out here playing house, ignoring the real world and hiding from the cops. Yeah, I'd say everything is just peachy."

Karen looked shocked, like she wasn't sure what to say or how to respond so she stayed silent.

Frank stormed over and pulled a chair out and sat down. "You keep sayin' that. About the cops..." his hands were twitching with nervous anger. "Now... now I've been listening to the police scanners and...," Frank stopped himself. He wasn't going to tell Jessica how he had access to the NYPD's servers. "Listen if they were looking for her I would know." But in that moment Frank doubted himself. What if it was true? What if Karen wasn't safe. That was obvious this woman had found them.

Jessica could tell there was something they were hiding, but she played along. "At the moment..." she shrugged and thought about it for another second, "all I know is, this detective... this... friend of Foggy's. He came to him asking about you."

Mahoney, she thought. Karen looked at Frank who was registering the same face of dread.

"And what did Foggy tell him?" Karen asked curiously. 

Jessica shrugged. "He didn't. He... just told him you guys had a falling out or something. That you hadn't spoken in a while," she finished her beer and got up to search for more.

Karen and Frank sat back in their chairs and looked at each other, wondering how to process this information.

"You know... if I had to guess..." Jessica was opening cabinets. On her second try she found what she was looking for. She grabbed a bottle of Scotch down from a cabinet along with a glass. "I'd say that detective, next person he's gonna go to is your boss at the Bulletin."

Ellison was the only person still in contact with her. She needed to call him and warn him. She could make it sound like she had deep investigative work. Dangerous work and she was in hiding. He would understand. 

Karen's mind was swimming. She needed to think.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she got up and put her hand on Frank's arm. A small sign of affection and skin to skin contact. He put his hand on hers and squeezed gently and then let go. Karen excused herself and headed upstairs.

After Karen had left Jessica came back to the dining room table and sat down in front of Frank. So this was The Punisher. She looked at him and he looked back at her. Was this a staring contest? He wasn't very scary, she thought. She crossed her arms and broke the silence, "So what's the deal with you two, exactly?"

Frank didn't respond. He mentally weighed his options. He considered tying Jessica up and not letting her leave. But then he remember that he probably couldn't overpower her. And if she had wanted to kill them or was there to tip someone off, they'd already be dead.

"Are you always this moody?" Jessica asked.

"Do you always drink this much?" Frank replied.

Jessica shrugged. She looked down at her Scotch. Yeah. It was a fair question.


	11. Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friend in red resurfaces.

Heels clicking.

"Forgive me."

Whispers.

A car honking. Swerving.

Laughter.

It was harder for Matt to hone in on the sounds around him. It wasn't like before. But the church was a quiet place for him to reflect. He knew the Irish were running guns and there was some sort of connection here. He wasn't going back out as Daredevil. He hadn't even reached out to Karen or Foggy. Or anyone else for that matter. It was too dangerous. For now, he would remain in the shadows. He heard rumblings of Wilson Fisk buying his way towards parole. It was disgusting how corrupt the city was.

More whispers.

"Detective."

Music from outside

"Karen Page."

Tv static.

"The Punisher."

Everything was suddenly a roar of noise all at once. And then silence.

"Find her."

Matt was sitting at the front of the church absorbing every detail around him. Those voices...

Matt got up and hurried to the back of the church to slide out a door that led to a small garden. He walked down the street at a fast pace until he came to the corner of the church. After hearing the car door shut, he quickly jumped over the fence and headed back towards the street. It was raining and the echos of the raindrops made a distinct sound coming off the car the woman was in. Reinforced steel and bulletproof glass. This was someone who had enemies.

The car turned down another street that was less crowded and gained speed.

Matt didn't want to lose it so he ran into an alley and climbed the fire escape. Once on the roof, he ran as fast as possible. He could sense a big void ahead. Big jump. He took a deep breath as he ran... and went for it. 

"Oooof!" He wanted to shout when he landed. His ankles were screaming and throbbing in pain. The rain had made it slippery and his shoes didn't have the proper grip.

He listened for the car. Other side of the building now. One block down. He needed to get down fast. He ran to the side and jumped on the fire escape below. He was leaping down stairs, four or five at a time now. The car was 3 blocks away. But it seemed to be slowing... or maybe... circling? Matt hit the ground and jogged to the other side of the street. He ran down the alley to cut the distance between him and the car in half. 

Familiar territory. He was back in Hell's Kitchen. Karen's place was nearby here. Matt had the feeling that was where they were headed so he doubled back and took a quicker route. 

One of Karen's neighbors was a nurse who lived alone and worked long hours. He listened though the window and didn't hear anything so he forced the window open and let himself inside. He went to the far wall that was shared with Karen's apartment and listened, hoping Karen was not home. If she was... well... he would be forced to step in. After listening intently with no sign of activity inside he was sure she was gone. 

Good. Stay away Karen, he thought, as if simply willing her to listen was enough. Whoever these people were, they did not have good intentions.

He heard a door being forced open and listened intently. Karen didn't have anything valuable, not to his knowledge.

"Looks like she left in a rush." Matt could hear the woman say.

Back in Karen's apartment, Maeve was going through drawers. One of her guards stood at the front door and as the other opened cabinets, the closet, and looked under the bed.

Gone. She had just disappeared. No journal, notebooks, no sign of family nearby.

Maeve walked to the side table and picked up the single picture frame Karen had in her apartment. She looked around, realizing this was the only thing in the entire place that felt personal. Well, besides the white roses wilting by the window. She handed the frame to one of the guards. "I want names."

He smashed the glass against the desk and took the photo out, folding it in his pocket and discarding the broken frame on the floor.

"There's nothing here. But ask around. See if anyone has any idea where she went. And make sure they know who to call first if she comes back." Maeve stepped over the broken glass and walked out of the apartment. "I'm going to pay a little visit to The New York Bulletin."

Next door, Matt's heart was racing. 

She had taken the picture of him, Karen, and Foggy. 

Matt had to get to the Bulletin before they did. He didn't think Karen would be there but he couldn't take the chance.

He slipped back out of the window and scaled the fire escape. It only took him a few seconds and he was on the roof running to the other side. He stopped and spun around. They knew about Foggy too. He had to choose. Karen or Foggy. They were both in danger. If he didn't make it all the way to the Bulletin in time Foggy was still going to be in danger and was twice the distance across town. Matt had to choose. 

He pulled out a phone and called Karen's office as he scaled back down the building.

First ring. No answer. Second ring. No answer. Third ring. No answer.

"Come on Karen, please answer!" Matt was hailing a cab now. It would be the quickest way to get uptown.

"Karen Page's office," A man answered the phone.

Was he too late, Matt thought? "Karen. I need to speak to Karen Page immediately please."

Ellison looked around. "She's not in... is there something I can-"

The call ended. 

 

\---

 

Ellison looked down at the phone. That was odd. He turned around to walked back out into the main office when he heard a quick knock and the door to Karen's office was pushed open.

A strangely familiar looking woman who was accompanied by two large men immediately met his eyes.

"Hi. How can I help you?" Ellison asked cautiously.

"Maeve DeMarco. I'm here to see one of your reporters. Karen Page." She steeled her eyes at him.

It took Ellison a second to put it all together. "I'm sorry, Miss Page is gone for the day. Is there something I can help you with?"

She looked around the room. At the boxes strewn about, and the dried flowers on the desk with a small card that simply read 'Pete'.

"If you see Miss Page, please tell her I'd very much like to have a word with her. She'll know what it's about." Her piercing eyes looked around the room, briefly flickering to the flowers again and then were back on him. 

Ellison didn't say anything, he just stared right back at her.

She turned around and the two men followed her out. Everyone in the office watched them go and Ellison had the sudden feeling that Karen was definitely in danger. No wonder she hadn't been in all week. 

 

\---

 

Matt had the cab driver let him off one block away. He hurried to the entrance of the building. Pushing through the rotating glass doors he immediately ran into someone. Marci.

"Hey watch-" Marci started before realizing who she was face to face with.

"Foggy! Where is he? I need to find him right now." Matt pleaded.

Marci was still in shock. "I... he... lunch... we had a... lunch..." she stumbled to find the right words.

"Marci where? WHERE?" Matt demanded.

"I don't know! I don't know! It's some new client... " Marci was now very worried.

"When did he leave?" Matt was holding her arms tightly. He was getting more visibly upset.

"Five, ten minutes ago maybe... he usually goes to some... deli on 66th and Park..." Marci was wide eyed.

"Call him. Tell him to go straight to the NYPD, I think he's in danger," Matt let her go and hurried outside, turned down the street towards the deli. It was only 2 blocks away.

Marci took a second to compose herself and then pulled out her phone, calling Foggy.

Matt could see Foggy walking a little more than one block ahead of him. Matt picked up speed. 

He saw Foggy take his phone out and talk to someone. He had just reached the deli. He saw Foggy stop outside and turn around. Foggy looked confused. His eyes focused in.

"Matt?" Foggy was looking at him now. He couldn't have been more than 20 feet away.

Suddenly a dark van pulled up. Three men in masks jumped out, one covering Foggy's head with a black bag and the other two lifting him up by each arm to drag him into the waited door. In less than 10 seconds it was all over.

They had him.

They had Foggy.


	12. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when no one can sleep.

It was the whimpering that woke him. The Liberman's puppy needed to go out. 

Frank opened his eyes and offered his hand to the pup. The pup immediately licked it and continued to whine. 

"Good boy," Frank said softly. He rolled out of bed and threw a sweatshirt over this head before opening the door and heading out into the hall. 

He stopped in front Leo's room where Karen was sleeping and peeked in. Yeah, they were doing this thing where they slept in different rooms. He wasn't sure how to broach the subject with her. He couldn't just come out right and say it. 'It would be nice to not feel so lonely, for a change' a voice told him. He listened to her breathing softly. Her face was turned away from him and her long legs were tucked close to her body. 

Frank realized the puppy was sniffing a corner. "Heeeey...." he gave the pup a low warning. He called him over. He left the door to the room Karen was sleeping in slightly ajar and then led the puppy downstairs. Jessica had passed out on the couch. That would be an interesting story to explain to David when he looked back at the security footage. Frank led the pup out the back door and leaned against a pillar.

It was quiet out here. Far enough away from the sounds of the city but you could still see the glow of their lights on the horizon. The puppy was sniffing around the yard. Frank was just enjoying the fresh air and peacefulness of the moment.

A few minutes went by and he heard faint footsteps and the back door opened.

Karen stepped out into the warm night in the same clothes she had worn that day.

"Hey," she smiled at him.

"Hey," he smiled back.

That stayed there in silence for a few minutes.

Karen cleared her throat. "So... they come home tomorrow."

The past few days had been quiet. Up until Jessica had found them. But still. Uneventful. 

Safe.

"Yeah. Yeah they should be back before dinner." Frank looked to her. He knew where this was going. She didn't want to go back to her place. "Look Karen-"

"I was thinking maybe I would ask Jessica..." Karen looked to him sadly. She knew it wasn't safe to go back to her place but she didn't want to impose. Frank needed his privacy. She swallowed, unsure of how to continue. She couldn't seem to meet his eyes.

Frank was chewing on the inside of his mouth. "We're gonna stay at my place. It's safe there." He looked to her now, with firm eyes and squared his jaw. This wasn't a question. 

Karen licked her lips. Ok, she thought. That was the short term plan, but for how long? How long was this going to last, she thought?

"I can't... I can't do this forever..." Karen didn't want to upset him but she also knew that eventually, she was going to have to face it. This. All of this. "I mean you say that now, but... what if it never goes away? What if they find out? I can't put you in danger like that, Frank. I-"

Frank scoffed. "You're not putting me in danger Karen. Hell I'm the shit magnet that got us in this mess." He looked across the lawn. The puppy was digging a hole, running around, a small body of boundless energy in the middle of the night.

"This is my life. My responsibility... you don't have to do this. I'm grateful but... you don't owe me anything Frank." Karen walked a little closer to him.

"You don't get it? Do you? There's only about five people in this world I'd give my right arm for right now and I..." Frank stopped. This argument was... he didn't mean to say that. He looked at Karen like he wanted to bolt, wanted to get the hell out of there but his feet may as well have been stuck in cement.

"I care about you Frank. I do, and I just... I know that's fucked up and... I can't stop thinking about how the only time these past few months that I've felt like I was happy was..." Karen was nearing tears now. "I know, this is not what you want. And I'm sorry. But I can't do this forever and tell you that I'm going to ever feel any different." 

Frank sighed. He knew. He knew exactly how she felt. They had been stepping over this now for months. 

"Karen..." Frank stepped forward and took her left hand and brought it to his chest and closed his eyes. He gently put the other hand on her shoulder and brought her closer to him and whispered, "I can't... I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Please. As long as I'm here... I..." He breathed in the scent of her. He tilted his head up and met her eyes. He looked down at her lips and then back up, begging for permission. 

Karen bit her lip. Once I do this, there is no going back, she thought. I won't be able to survive letting him go.

Suddenly Frank's lips were on hers, warm and delicate. Her hands went to his hair and she dragged her nails across his scalp as the fervor of the moment built. She couldn't breathe. She didn't need to breathe. His hands were on her sides, on her waist, on her hips...

Karen couldn't help but bite his lip, causing Frank to moan. He pushed her against the pillar and began to kiss down the side of her neck. 

She was seeing stars. She was lost in the moment. This was all so... 

"Frank." Karen stopped and looked into his eyes. He looked like a wild animal trapped in the dark. Suddenly he let her go.

"I'm sorry." Frank whistled for the pup and walked back into the house.

 

Karen stayed there a few moments, suddenly feeling like a fool. When she was sure Frank had gone back upstairs she went back inside sat down at the table and turned her computer on.

Jessica groaned from the living room. Dreary eyed, she got up and walked over to the table and sat down next to Karen.

The two of them didn't talk for a a few minutes. Then Jessica took a glass and poured Karen some Scotch and pushed the glass over to her. "You look like you need this." Jessica said, before taking a swig straight from the bottle herself.

Karen scoffed. "You're lucky, you know that?" Jessica scrunched her face. "What you have?"

Jessica looked at Karen like she had lost her mind.

"I mean it. People don't try to protect you. They don't treat you like you're glass like... like you're this breakable thing." Jessica looked over Karen's shoulder and saw what she was reading. An article. About her. About Kilgrave. 

Jessica took another swig. "That's bullshit though. Because I am. Because we all are. In some way... we're all like that. Some of us have strength and we fight it. Physically." She looked at Karen. "Now I don't know Frank, but from what I do know, he's an angry son of a bitch. And you. You don't back down."

Karen thought about it. Yeah, Frank was angry alright. 

Jessica continued, "But from what I can tell. He needs you. And there's obviously something there. You'd be stupid to push that away."

"He's not... he doesn't..." Karen couldn't find the words.

"Listen, men are idiots. Women too, sometimes, I know I can be. And you... Karen you're a fighter. But not in the physical way. You're... you're different. Sometimes people need that. Whether they want to admit it or not. Sometimes they need people like you to tell them all the fucked up shit they're doing wrong. And sometimes you just need to learn when to give in." Jessica took the final swig of the Scotch and looked at the bottle. She got up and zipped up her hoodie. 

"I need to check in with Foggy. And I probably need to replace this shit too. Before your friends come back and get pissed I drank their $400 bottle of Scotch." She smirked and disappeared out the back door.

 

Karen sat there for a few more minutes after Jessica had gone. Should she apologize? Frank had opened up to her and she fucked it up. What did she want? Was she really ready to take this next step? She closed her computer.

The hallway was dark. She slowly walked upstairs. She paused at the door to the room she had been sleeping in. Leo's room. She was about to push it open and lay back down but... she couldn't. Her hand dropped from the door and she walked across the hall to the guest room Frank was in. Outside the door, she smiled. She knew he was awake. She pushed the door open gently and stood there, watching him.

"I know you're awake." She whispered and walked in a little closer to the bed.

Frank didn't move. 

She closed the door gently. She stared at the closed door for a moment before turning around. 

Frank was stock still, pretending to be asleep.

Karen walked over to the other side of the bed and laid down. "You know, you do this thing when you're sleeping, you scrunch your forehead and you make this..." she let out a light laugh, "you make this noise, this whistling while you breath."

Frank opened his eyes and smiled. He had broken his nose so many times it was a wonder he could breathe through his nose at all. He was facing the opposite side of her.

"Frank. Frank look at me." Karen put a hand on his shoulder and he rolled over quietly and looked into her eyes. "We can't live the rest of our lives afraid of what we might lose. I don't want to do that. I know you don't want that either."

Frank didn't say anything. 

Karen looked into his eyes. She looked at his lips. She could see the look of sadness on his face. "I don't want you to feel like you have to do this. Because you don't. You don't and I-" 

Frank cut her off with a soft kiss. He held her head close to his. "Karen... I..." he choked on the words... it was there. He just didn't know how to finish it. Three simple words. Three words that would open up the floodgates. Questions. Answers. Everything out there in the open.

But Karen knew. Because that's what she did. She just knew these things about him now. She cupped the back of his head and reached over and kissed him hard. Her tongue explored the inside of his mouth. She rolled on top of him and suddenly his hands were on her hips, grinding her into him. He hissed as the feeling of his belt buckle pressed into him. He reached down and slipped his belt off and threw it on the ground. Karen's lips were on his neck now, placing open mouth kisses and rolling her tongue in circles against his skin.

Frank flipped her over and reached down and pulled her shirt over her head. He looked down at her. She was so beautiful with her hair all a mess and mascara smudged from crying. 

Suddenly Frank remembered something. "Be right back."

Karen looked at him confused. 

Frank walked up to the mirror hanging on the wall and ripped off something. "David has this place bugged. Pervert would probably get off on this."

Karen laughed and covered her face with a pillow. "Oh no..." she feigned embarrassment.

Frank got back on the bed and carefully laid down next to her, looking down at her eyes without saying a word.

"What's the matter?" Karen asked him, unaware if this meant their little tryst was over. 

Frank bent down and kissed her collarbone. "I just. I want to remember this. Remember you." He kissed her beauty mark next to her lips. And then a freckle on her shoulder. "I don't want you to regret this. I don't want it to ruin us."

Karen looked at his face. She knew the stories for half the scars he had. She kissed one cheek, and then the other, and then whispered into his ear.

"I'm not running away from this anymore. You shouldn't either." 

Those words seemed to break the final barrier between them and he and Karen took the next few hours to get lost in each other.

Lost in the night.

Lost in the moment.

For just a few hours, there was no today, no tomorrow, no yesterday.

There was just the now, the here. There was warmth and passion in the darkness and they were just two lost shadows.


	13. Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Foggy makes a call and Frank makes a plan.

Foggy's head was buzzing. He opened his eyes. Yep, everything was still black. Was this a nightmare? This couldn't be really happening. Did he really just see Matt or was that just his imagination? If it was Matt, then he guessed this all makes sense. The second Matt comes back he gets captured by some crazy criminal organization... yeah... of course that made sense. If Matt wasn't dead, he was going to wish he was. 

His captors had kept the black sack over his head and had also tied his hands behind his back. He breathed in deeply, attempting to calm himself and tried to keep track of where he was headed. The van had made a few turns in quick succession and then had kept straight for some time. He kept quiet and tried to map out where he might be in his mind. Another 20 minutes later and he heard the sound of smooth asphalt turn to gravel, as well as faint pings of small bits of rock and sand being kicked up by the tires.

Suddenly they stopped. Foggy heard the van door open and he was lifted up and out of the truck. He could hear water near and he was on soft gravel. They were somewhere near the river. A shipping yard maybe.

He was led through a maze of rooms and up two floors.

Finally, after feeling like he had gone in circles a few times, he heard a door open and he was led into a room and forced into a chair.

The dark sack on his head came off and suddenly he was blinded by the mid afternoon sun staring right at him. At least he knew he was facing somewhere west. The room he was in was some sort of an abandoned factory that had been cleared out. There was virtually no furniture, no walls, no doors even. Just a big space with large windows that overlooked the city and the 

"Is someone going to tell me what this is all about?" Foggy looked around the room. Two men behind him and two men at the door didn't say anything. "I'm just a lawyer for Christ's sake. Whatever this is, you've got the wrong guy." Foggy waited. This was useless. "Helloooo???"

Suddenly Foggy could feel his phone buzzing in the inside of his coat pocket. One of the men behind him seemed to have noticed too and immediately started patting him down. The man picked the phone up and looked at it and Foggy saw that it had been Jessica. 

Of all times, now she calls back, he thought.

He heard footsteps coming from the other side of the room.

A man appeared from behind him and learned against the table in front of Foggy. He was maybe mid thirties, green eyes and dark hair. He took a gun out from the back of his pants and placed it on the table.

Without warning the man's right hand reached out and grabbed Foggy's face and squeezed hard.

"I'm gonna make this easy on ya," the man began with a thick Irish accent, "we already know everything about ya, so if you want to keep your friends, your family, fuck if you want to keep 'em fingers and toes, you're gonna tell me where ta find 'er. That bitch reporter friend of yours." He was inches away from Foggy's face. Still holding it. 

Foggy was having a hard time keeping calm. His heart was beating fast and he couldn't remember how long it had been since he took a breath. This was about Karen. They were looking for Karen. 

"You nod your head if ya can understand me," the man continued to squeeze Foggy's face.

Slowly, Foggy nodded.

The man let his face go with a jerk and Foggy gasped for air. After a few seconds he looked up at the man. "I don't know where she's-"

Bam. Suddenly the wind was knocked out of him as he took a hard punch to the gut. 

"I know who..." Foggy choked out. Big breath, stay calm, he thought. Matt will get him out of this. Or The Punisher. Jesus Christ was he really wishing for The Punisher to come save him? Any vigilante, really, would do. "I know who knows where she is... my phone... give me... my phone." Foggy continue to try and catch his breath.

The man looked to Foggy. "If this is a trick, that little Barbie doll girlfriend of yours is dead." He opened the phone. "Name."

Foggy mumbles something.

"What? I said name!" The man yelled.

"Power Woman," Foggy finally says loud enough. "It's just this joke, she... never mind. But she knows where Karen is, I swear." Foggy hoped Jessica had either found her or was smart enough to play along.

The man looked at Foggy with skepticism but scrolled through and found the name. "I'm giving you one chance." He pushed the call button and turned the speaker on and held the phone up in front on Foggy's face.

It was dialing.

Please pick up.... please pick up, Foggy thought.

"Nope, you don't answer me when I called earlier so you're going to have to wait now. I'll call you back... I'm in the middle of a debate here," Jessica laughed out. Foggy could tell there were people in the background.

"It's important! Jessica this is Franklin Nelson." Foggy looked up at the man standing over him and then nervously swallowed and continued. "I need you to give me the exact address of where Karen is in New Jersey." Foggy hoped she would take the bait. 

Please Jessica, for the love of God you're a PI please understand what I am telling you, Foggy wished. 

Jessica was confused at first. But then she realized something didn't add up. Something was wrong. She was sitting with the Lieberman's, Frank, and Karen and looked around the table and gave them all a cold frightening stare. Everyone suddenly stopped and quieted and looked back at her. She had to think on her feet, so she started slowly. "Franklin... Karen is on her way back to the city. She had to meet someone." Jessica motioned for a pen and paper.

"I need to know where she is going to be," Foggy began, "I need to meet with her first." 

David wrote on the paper 'Union Square Park SW Corner.'

"Foggy... is... is everything OK?" Jessica looked at Karen. Karen was holding Frank's arm and looked like she was going to be sick.

"It's fine. I just... needed to see her." Foggy wanted to scream. No, this isn't OK. Nothing about this is OK, he thought.

Jessica waited for moment. She wanted to say something but didn't want to put Foggy in any more danger than he might already be. "She's meeting someone at the southwest corner of Union Square Park. 8 o'clock." Jessica needed to give them a few hours to plan this.

Suddenly the line went dead.

Jessica put the phone down.

"Guys, go to your rooms... now please," Sarah looked at Zach and Leo.

Zack picked up the puppy and he and Leo headed upstairs without a word.

"I'm not letting you go there Karen," Frank said immediately.

"I don't think we have any other choice." Karen cut back.

Frank scoffed. "God damnit Karen you can't just-" 

"Hey, lovebirds, I'll go." Jessica offered.

"I can't let you do that. These people, they want me. If you go, they might hurt Foggy. Maybe even kill him. I can't-" Karen was about to say something when Frank cut her off again.

"So you think you can do that? You get to make that choice? What about me? What do you expect me to do? Just sit here?" Frank was getting angry.

"Hey! Hey..." David tried to calm Frank down. "There might be another way. His cell phone. I might be able to track it. Maybe get a location on where he's at."

"Yeah, but what do we do when we find him? Tell the police? Call a tip line? We don't even know who these people are. For all we know, this could be the police trying to set us up." Karen looked at David confused.

A few moments of silence and Karen realized where this was leading.

"No." Karen looked at Frank who had his head down. Sign of a guilty conscience already, she thought. "No, Frank, you can't..." Karen paused. She had to stick to the facts. "Look, we know nothing about them. Who they are or what kind of guns they might have...how many of them... you can't just go in there and expect to get Foggy out alive. Alone." Karen looked to Jessica. She didn't want to ask, but if Frank was going to do this and she couldn't talk him out of it, he was going to need backup. 

"What the hell, why not... it's not like I have anything else to do on a Thursday night," Jessica gave in.

"It's... Sunday," Sarah corrected her.

Jessica made a face that said 'meh, whatever'. 

"Look if we do this I'm going to need to stop by my place and grab a few things. Karen you'll stay there with David, be my eyes and ears," Frank looked at Jessica. He didn't do 'partners'. But he knew this would make Karen happy. "And she-hulk comes with me."

"She-hulk? Really? You're gonna say that to someone who almost kicked your ass?" Jessica teased.

"If we're gonna do this we gotta leave. Now." Frank stood up and offered a hand to Karen to help her up. "I'll drive with Karen and you two take her car," he said, nodding to Jessica.

They gathered everything they needed, Karen thanked Sarah, and they all headed out.


	14. Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group attempts to rescue Foggy but it doesn't exactly go as planned.

David had tracked the last known location of Foggy's cell phone to a warehouse near an old power plant in Queens by the river, barely 15 minutes away. He was even able to pick up security footage from another place nearby and old blueprints of the building. 

By Frank's estimates there were only 10 guys, 15 tops that were there at any one point in time. The road leading to the building they suspected Foggy was in was about a quarter mile from a main highway. They could block the only entrance and exit to the road, create a diversion, draw them out, and split them up. Jessica would get in, get Foggy, and get out while Frank covered her.

As Frank loaded the van, Karen came up behind him.

"Listen... thank you. For doing this. It means a lot to me. Foggy is... well he's almost all that I have left. Besides you. So..." Karen didn't like goodbyes. She wished there was another way. She pulled out her phone to look at the time. 5:30. They had another hour before Frank and Jessica were going to take off. Frank wanted to be there right at sunset.

Frank stopped counting the ammunition and turned to Karen.

"Look Karen... I..." Frank stopped. He was expecting a look of disapproval but she just looked like she was about to cry and it broke his heart. He took her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. With one hand on her back and the other in her hair, he let out a long sigh. They stood there for a moment and then Frank whispered in her ear, "I'll come back. We'll get in and out. It'll be quick. I promise."

Karen took a long shuddering breath and moved to put her forehead to his. "This whole thing... it just. Seems like it never ends."

Frank couldn't say anything because he knew she was right. He wished it would end. For her. For both of them, really. But mostly for her. He kissed her forehead and let her go. "Come on, we need to go over the plans one more time." He closed the van door and led Karen back inside.

Jessica was in awe of everything David could find. He figured out that it was definitely the Irish holding Foggy. The building they were operating out of had actually belonged to a shell company Wilson Fisk had once owned. After Fisk got locked up, the Irish had claimed it. He identified license plates from cars that were coming and going using security footage from a gas station nearby. For the most part they belonged to men who were connected to the Irish.

"What did you find?" Frank asked, looking over David's shoulder.

"Well. Some pretty interesting stuff." David cleared his throat. "This place is definitely a hot spot. A lot of traffic in and out. Most of the vehicles tie back to the Irish but I noticed..." David brought up a map and scratched his head "This is a dead end street. One way in, one way out. But..." He pointed to the map. "There's a dock. And the same boat has shown up few times."

"Wait, is that a name? Can you zoom in? Right there." Karen pointed to the screen. 

David tilted his head. Huh. He hadn't seen that at first. He zoomed and enhanced the image.

"Iolar na Mara. Does that mean something? Can we find out who it belongs to?" Karen looked to David.

He searched the name and a list of potential matches came up.

"Cooley, right there that's it." Frank pointed out the name. "Maeve Cooley."

"Maeve... I know that name." Karen was pacing, trying to think. Without warning she walked out of the room. Ten seconds later she was back with a copy of the Bulletin. "Joseph and Maeve DeMarco grieved the loss of their son, Michael DeMarco, who was found murdered in Hell's Kitchen..." Karen couldn't believe it. "I think... it's not the Chief of Police that's got ties to the Irish. It's his wife."

David did a quick search. "Maeve DeMarco maiden name Maeve Cooley. This is it."

"Jesus how deep does this rabbit hole go?" Jessica shook her head and crossed her arms. 

Frank looked at the time. 6:20 already. "We gotta head out soon." 

Frank walked to the living room and started to get his gear on. He put an extra knife in each boot. A razor blade in the seam of his belt.

Karen, Jessica, and David walked out of the room too. 

Jessica headed straight for the cabinets. "Where do you keep the good shit?" She asked David over her shoulder.

"Left of the fridge," David replied.

Jessica found the bottle and inspected it for a moment. "You really like your Scotch don't you?" She said as she poured two glasses. Jessica handed him one and clinked glasses before taking a large swig.

Karen had walked into the living room and leaned against the wall, silently watching Frank as he double checked every inch of himself. He was so methodical. Like he had done this a thousand times. He lifted his bulletproof vest over his head and realized she was watching him. Karen walked over and helped to secure it, pulling on the Velcro to ensure a tight fit. When she was sure it was secure she crossed her arms and looked him up and down. 

Frank looked back at her. He wasn't good at this. For the first time in a long time he felt that familiar pang in his chest that he was leaving something behind. 

Karen put on hand on Frank's chest. "Be careful." 

Frank just nodded shyly. 

David and Jessica were no-so-subtly staring right at them. 

Karen kissed Frank on the cheek and then dropped her hand. 

"Lets go." Frank finally said and walked to the door.

Jessica finished her drink and slammed the glass down. 

"Can I drive?" She asked as they walked out.

"No." Frank immediately replied.

They got in the van and headed out.

 

\---

 

David had the tracker on the screen and he and Karen settled in to watch and listen.

"Ok Frank... up here on right is your turn off. When you get to the corner I'd kill the lights. They'll still be able to see you coming but I've got eyes in the sky so I'll be able to give you positions." David looked at his monitors and made sure everything was in place. 

Karen sat next to him and nervously bounced her leg. 

David out hand on her leg for a brief moment and gave her a reassuring smile, then looked back to the screen and saw the van lights shut off before the turn. He took a deep breath. 

The van approached the warehouse. 

When Frank pulled up he was on edge. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up. No one came out to meet them. Either there were far few men here or something was up.

"Something's not right." Frank said. He could feel it. He looked around at the dark building. He and Jessica slowly got out. "Keep your guard up. This goes bad the keys are on the dash."

They crept to the front. There was no door on the hinges. They couldn't see into the darkness but Frank could hear something. He motioned for Jessica to get on the other side of the entrance. The person was walking closer. 

Frank readied himself and got into position to take the guy down. As soon as they had one foot out of the door Frank grabbed ahold of him and slammed him against the wall.

"Frank! Frank! It's me. It's me Frank!" The person said.

Frank was confused. He looked at him and blinked. He looked up and down. It was... was it really the Devil of Hell's Kitchen? In the flesh?He was speechless. What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be dead? "You... your..."

"I don't have a lot of time to explain it, Foggy's on the third floor and there are three men, night vision goggles. They have him drugged. He's passed out. We need to get up there now before their back up gets here." Matt hurried out. He looked to Jessica. "Hey."

Jessica looked like she had seen a ghost. "Shit just keeps getting weirder and weirder today," she mumbled.

"Wait," Matt could hear movement. "They're moving him. To the back. Towards the water. You go to the left and I'll cut them off on the right. Jessica can you make sure if one of them makes it to a car they don't get away?"

"Got it," Jessica said, and headed back towards the far side of the parking lot.

Frank and Matt split up.

Karen and David were watching from the drone. 

"Wait! There's someone else there. Who is that?" Karen asked out loud as she looked at the video feed. The drone followed to Frank's side of the building and the other person disappeared from view.

Frank was on the other side of the building now. He and Matt moved in sync up the stairs. He stopped at the top of the stairs that opened up to the third level. He heard something fly through the air and shots were fired in the other direction. Frank used that as his moment to tackle one of the men. He snaked his neck and rolled him immediately to cover his own body. Another one of them turned around and shot towards Frank, hitting the man Frank was holding. Frank shot back and put a bullet in his head.

Frank scooped up Foggy and threw him over his shoulders. 

"There are five, maybe six cars coming up the road now. We gotta go." Matt was leading the way down the far side of the stairs and he and Frank ran down as fast as they could.

Jessica was outside and yelled. "Guys... we've got company."

She flipped a car over on its side and hid behind it as a hail of bullets came her way.

Five cars pulled up and a dozen men got out. 

Frank and Matt ran for the van, Frank folding in the direction of the men. When they reached the van Frank opened the back and laid Foggy inside. "You get him out of here. I'll distract 'em." Frank grabbed his rifle and a box of ammo and headed back towards the building, turning around to fire several shots from his pistol.

"God damnit Frank!" Matt called out. He went to grab Frank's arm as bullets flew past.

"I promised Karen I'd get him out so go! Get out of here!" Frank wasn't stopping. He pushed Matt off of him. 

Matt was confused. He promised Karen? 

Suddenly a car was launched into the air and landed near them. They both looked up. "Hey assholes are we getting out of here or what?" She had barricaded herself behind a wall of cars and was throwing scraps of metal, tires, anything she could find to fend them off.

Matt ran back to the van, dodging bullets as they whizzed through the air. He grabbed the keys and started it, immediately pushing the gas and speeding the 200 yards to where Jessica was. 

Frank was already on the roof now, firing down and giving them cover. 

Jessica ran for the van. A bullet hit her in the shoulder just as she slammed the door shut. "Son of a bitch!" She yelled and grabbed her arm. She looked back towards the building for Frank. "Are we leaving him?!" She asked.

Matt wrestled with leaving Frank behind. He thought for a moment and then remembered what he had said. It was his choice to stay. He looked back at Foggy for a moment, remembering why they were here.

"He'll be fine. I'm sure he has a plan." Matt replied. He floored the gas and the van raced past the onslaught of gunfire. 

Within a few minutes, it seemed they were in the clear.

"Where are we going?" Matt asked. 

"WE aren't going anywhere. You're pulling over and I'm driving because YOU are blind." Jessica was holding onto the dash and door handle as the van swayed violently. 

Matt pulled over and he and Jessica swapped seats.

Jessica drove back silently. She knew this was going to be bad. She kept looking over at Matt occasionally, still unsure of where to even start.

Matt could hear her heart racing. "Where are we going?" He asked again.

"Frank's place." She looked in the rear view to be sure they weren't being followed. "It's not far." Jessica knew this would be awkward. "Karen's there." She added. Mostly as a warning.

Matt was trying to put it together. Karen had probably heard about Foggy and reached out to Frank to help. But that would mean Karen knew how to find Frank? Or did Frank reach out to her? How long had Karen been at Frank's? Was Karen in danger because of something Frank did?

Foggy began to groan. "Hey... Foggy..... shhh... shhh.. stay down buddy we're almost there." Matt said, trying to settle him.

Jessica turned down two more streets and circled the block before she pulled into a little alleyway. 

She turned off the van and looked at Matt. "Hey. A little advice. You're supposed to be dead, and now Frank's gone. Just remember that." Jessica had barely finished when Karen ran outside.

"You left him!" Karen yelled. She opened the driver side door and was grabbing at Jessica. "You... were... supposed..." she was angry but also on the verge of tears.

"He asked me to." Matt spoke up. Karen looked up at Matt and then back at Jessica. 

"Matt?" Karen was looking back him. Was that really him? 

Her eyes couldn't focus. She couldn't breath. A loud piercing sound filled her ears. Suddenly the world was falling away from her.

 

And then it all went black.


	15. Use

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank makes an agreement

"Ruuhhhhhgggg!!" 

Frank was letting out a primal growl as one of his toes was being smashed by a hammer.

After Matt and Jessica had escaped with Foggy, he was up on that roof for nearly an hour taking out every piece of shit that dared to approach. When he thought the coast was clear he had headed downstairs. His plan had been to take one of the cars to get back. 

But what he didn't expect, was for one of the guys that Matt had tied up to have escaped and come at him with a drug-filled syringe. Of fucking course, Frank thought. This is why you kill them instead of just knock them out.

He didn't know how long he had been knocked out but it was still dark outside. The lights for the building were on now, and he guessed based off of the blood stains on the concrete, that this was the third floor.

The creep with the hammer was smiling. "God I enjoy watching you squirm," he said in a thick Irish accent. His teeth were mangled and rotten. He raised the hammer and was about to smash another toe but stopped when he heard a door opening.

A woman in an all black evening gown walked in. 

"That'll be enough Thomas. Get our friend here some pain medication for the trouble you've caused him," she was taking her gloves and jacket off and threw them haphazardly on a table by the door. 

"Mr. Castle." She looked him up and down as she walked closer.

Frank stared at her with anger in his eyes. He was seething.

Slowly, she dragged a chair next to him. The sound of the metal scraping against the concrete grated in his ears. She turned it around and straddled it. "You're just so..." she took one finger and seductively drew a line from his elbow that was tied back behind him, up to his bicep, across his pectoral, and when she got to his neck she suddenly took both hands ripped his shirt open revealing his bruised and bloodied chest... "magnificent."

"Fuck You, lady." Frank spit out.

"You know, I could have both you and that bitch killed." She got up now and began circling him. "After what she did to my son...after what you did to my brother..." she was still circling him. "But I'm smarter... I'm better than that. I'm here to outlast all these other men who fight their battles in the streets. I'm here to win this war. But I need men like you."

Frank let out a laugh. 

"It's terrible... what they did to your family." She was making a face like she had some semblance of remorse but it quickly faded. "But you of all people should know, nothing in this life is guaranteed. Nothing is going to bring your family back. But I can give you the chance to inflict enough pain on the world that it at least makes your time here worth something."

"You're god damn batshit you know that?" Frank shook his head. What the hell was this lady thinking?

She was getting in his face now. "You came back. You survived. God wants you here. You have a purpose. Take this opportunity I'm giving you. You have someone. Someone I know you care deeply for." She sneered. "Tell me... how does someone like you get involved with someone like Karen Page?"

"You leave her out of this!" Frank was huffing and borderline hysterical.

"See I don't want to kill you. I want to use you. And Karen... well... I would love nothing more than to..." she walked over to Frank now and put her hands around his neck. "I would love to look into her eyes... " she squeezed Frank's neck, "as my hands tighten around her neck..." her nails dug in and she squeezed ever harder, "and I drain the life out of her." Frank was straining every muscle in his neck as she choked him still. 

Suddenly she let go and let out a laugh.

Frank was thrashing around now.

Maeve continued to laugh. "She really is something to you, isn't she?"

"Don't you... don't you fucking touch her. Just don't..." What came next Frank didn't prepare for or fully grasp until after it had all been said. 

"I'll do it. Anything you want. Whatever you need me to do... I..." Frank couldn't believe what he was about to say. "I'll do it. You need me to kill? Need me to be your hit man? I'll fucking do it. Come on! This is what you want right?" He swallowed hard. There it was. 

Maeve smiled sadistically. "Good boy." As if that was the only thing she had been waiting for, she got up and made for the door, picking up her jacket and putting her gloves back on one by one.

"Karen will be safe in prison. I can assure you." She made for the door as Frank yelled.

Prison? What the hell was she talking about?

"Hey! Hey! That wasn't the deal." He yelled, furious at the notion that Karen could end up in jail.

"Oh... I forgot you didn't know..." She rolled her eyes sarcastically and smiled before looking directly at him with a cold stare as she held the door. "It's all over the news... Karen Page turned herself into the NYPD about an hour ago and confessed to the murder of my son." She left and let the door shut behind her.

As she walked away she could hear Frank let out another wild roar.


	16. Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen makes a decision

“Here. Drink this.” The man handed her a small glass of orange juice. “I’m Curtis by the way. Curtis Hoyle.”

Karen nodded. She sipped the juice and slowly came to the conclusions that she was in Frank’s room. “Karen. Page.” She looked around. On the other side of the bed was the picture of Frank’s family. She suddenly felt awkward, like she was invading his privacy.

Curtis could tell she was uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. “Frank mentioned you..." He stopped and thought for a moment, "I know you guys are close.” He looked down at his hands and thought for a moment. “Frank’s the kind of guy that would do anything to help anybody. But he’s smart.”

Karen looked at Curtis now. She could see that he was worried too. “Frank doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

“Yeah… he can be… stubborn.” They both laughed. Curtis continued, “I’m sure he had a plan though.” He looked to Karen with sincerity. “If there’s one thing I could count on, it was that Frank always comes back. He always finds a way to make it through. In all our years together it was like he had a guardian angel or something. We’d go out on a mission, get split up. Always wondered who was going to make it back, which of your buddies wasn’t going to be there? After a while, I didn’t even have to think about it. Knew we’d get back and Frank would be there.” He looked at her and hoped that his words helped.

“Thank you,” Karen gave a faint smile. She knew Curtis wasn’t just reassuring her, he was reassuring himself too.

Jessica suddenly opened the door. “Head’s up.” She tossed Karen’s cell phone to her on the bed. “Your boss must be pissed, he’s called about 20 times in the past hour.”

“Shit…” Karen remembered she hadn’t checked in. How long had she been out? “I gotta…” she motioned to the phone and Curtis got up and walked out of the room with Jessica so Karen could have a minute.

Karen opened the phone. “Hey, Ellison- “

“Are you kidding me Karen? What is going on? You… you haven’t answered any of my calls, you missed two deadlines. I have the NYPD calling here looking for you-“ Ellison was furious.

“It’s… a long story,” Karen started.

“Yeah well, I need to know what kind of mess you’ve gotten me into. I deserve that at least. I have people showing up here asking questions and I can’t keep covering for you. And these are not good people Karen, these guys… the Chief of Police’s wife even came by. Now wherever you’re getting your information, I need you to stop. This ends now, this is too dangerous. You need to take a step back. Whatever you’re doing…” Ellison stopped and rubbed his temples and took a breath.

Karen decided in that moment to just tell him the truth. This was Ellison, she could trust him. She needed him to give her more time. She took a deep breath. “These people… this whole… listen, I need to tell you something but you have to trust me ok? Because I just need time to figure it all out, Frank and I we’re…” Karen paused. No. She needed to do this. “I need you to just… trust me? Please.”

Ellison was confused but there wasn’t really anything else he could say. “Ok. Ok, I just, I need to know what this is all about.”

Karen didn’t want to say it out loud but she knew she had to. “It was me… it was me… I shot,” she had to catch her breath, “I was protecting Frank. That night. These kids. The Irish. They found him and I…” she trailed off, unsure how to even finish what she was going to say.

Ellison sat down. He was speechless. He was worried about her. After a beat he finally spoke up. “Karen, you need to go to the police. It’s the only way. You can tell them it was self-defense, tell them-“

Karen scoffed. “I can’t… I can’t do that. This is Frank Castle we’re talking about… I’m not going to get any sympathy for protecting the Punisher for Christ’s sake.”

“But you’re not going to get any lie Nancy if you keep running away from this. They’re going to figure it out eventually, and when they do… Karen you’ve got to come clean.” Ellison was worried about her. But he didn’t see any other way. “If someone like Wilson Fisk can make parole… you need to be able to-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa… what? What… what… what do you mean Fisk made parole? He’s out?” Karen was suddenly panicking. Frank was gone and now Fisk was out?

“Yeah, I thought you heard. It’s not shocking given who the man has on his payroll. He found a way to pull some strings…” Ellison knew about Karen’s history with Fisk. “Karen, maybe now, the safest place for you IS the NYPD? And if you have information on other criminal activity, maybe… I don’t know maybe they can work out a plea deal or something?”

Karen was biting her nail nervously. “Yeah… yeah… I… uh listen I’ll call you back later.” She hung up and went into the kitchen.

Matt and Foggy where there. Karen couldn’t stand to make eye contact with Matt. It was just… too hard. It was weird. Something just didn’t feel right and she didn’t have the patience or emotional desire to even begin the discuss where he had been, what he had been doing, why he let everyone think he… Karen just needed to let it go for now.

“Fisk… he’s out. He made parole.” Karen stammered.

Both Matt and Foggy were understandably shocked.

“Wh… when? And… why?” Foggy asked.

Karen shrugged. “I don’t know. But Ellison just told me. Said he must have some pretty important people on his payroll. Found a way to cheat the system.”

Matt was angry. He clenched his fist and wanted to punch something. The justice system had its flaws but Wilson Fisk was putting a sledgehammer into its very core. His release meant there had to be high levels of corruption. It was only a matter of time before Fisk had a stronghold on the city again.

“And… there’s one more thing. I’m going to turn myself in to the NYPD. These people, they won’t stop coming after me. And Frank. And everyone… everyone I know is going to be in danger. It’s not going to stop.” Karen looked at everyone’s faces.

“I killed that kid. I killed him and I don’t… I don’t regret it. I know that I have to answer to that. But I wasn’t going to let them take Frank and then they took you Foggy and I…” Karen looked to Foggy now.

Foggy walked up to Karen and gave her a hug. He knew it was hard for her. This was going to be big. “Listen… a couple days ago Brett reached out to me and told me… I think he knew. He said he could help. He’s a good guy Karen. I think we could arrange something. He can get you into protective custody. We can try and work this all out.”

Karen had a tear rolling down her cheek. She knew Frank would be pissed and everything was going to change.

David walked up and put a hand on Karen’s shoulder. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. I’ve been watching the security footage. No sign of Frank. They might have him, and just be trying to get information out of him.”

“No. They know Frank would never tell them anything. I don’t know what their waiting for or what they want from me but I think the last thing they would expect would be for me to do this.” Karen looked at everyone again. “I have to do this.”

No one was completely sure what this was going to accomplish but they all knew Frank’s first priority would be to keep Karen safe. And if going to the NYPD kept her safe, then that is what they had to let her do.

Matt spoke up, “Foggy and I can go with you, serve as your legal counsel and see what we can do.”

“Legally speaking, you’re dead, so I think I’ll take the lead here.” Foggy shot back. He seemed a little angry at Matt but was being civil.

“He’s right, you know,” Jessica chimed in sarcastically. She felt a little betrayed by Matt too.

“I’m going to step outside and call Brett and let him know,” Foggy excused himself and went outside.

He came back a few minutes later. “Ok. It’s all set. We need to get going though. He’ll be waiting for us.”

Everyone just stood there for a moment.

“I’ll drive. I need to bring Trish back her car anyway.” Jessica offered. “How did you get all the way out there anyway?” She said looking to Matt.

“I took the train. I always take the train.” Matt replied.

Jessica shook her head.

Karen gathered some things. She looked to David. “When Frank comes back…” She didn’t quite know what to say.

David just shrugged. There wasn’t anything they could do now. This was the way it had to be.

Karen looked to Curtis. “Thank you, again.”

Curtis smiled. “It’s no problem. Any day’s a good day when I don’t gotta pull a bullet out of Frank,” He joked.

Karen, Jessica, Foggy, and Matt got in Jessica’s car and drove into the city. It was an awkward and silent at some parts but it gave Foggy and Matt a chance to talk about how they were going to convince Brett that Karen should get a plea deal.

When they got to the station Jessica stopped in front and looked to Karen, “Time to face the music,” she said somberly. She waited a moment and then reached over and gave her a hug. “If you need me, I’ll be around.” She said before letting Karen go.

Foggy got out and opened the door for Karen.

They walked up the steps and saw Brett was already there waited.

“Karen.” Brett said.

“Detective.” Karen replied.

Brett led them into the building and through the maze of offices. He brought them to one of the interrogation rooms.

Karen’s heart was racing and she felt like this was all a little too familiar. But she was going to get through this. This was required. She had to do this.

Brett shut the door behind them. Karen and Foggy sat down on one side of the table and Brett sat on the other.

“So… why are we here?” Brett looked to Karen.

Foggy cleared his throat and started, “As Karen Page’s official legal counsel, I have advised my client that the best course of action was to give the NYPD valuable and sensitive information on a major criminal operation. In exchange for her confession.”

Brett looked at Foggy and then back to Karen. “Confession to what, exactly?” he asked.

Foggy looked to Karen, silently giving her the ok to respond.

“I… “ This was it, Karen thought. No taking this back. “I killed Michael DeMarco. That night. He was working for the Irish and they were going to take Frank and-“

“Frank Castle?” Brett said, rolling his eyes. “Why does this not surprise me?” Brett got up and started pacing. “And this… this information you have? You think that’s going to get you something? Because from where I’m standing Miss Page, a murderer doesn’t get to absolve their crimes by digging up dirt on their victims. You’ve been spending too much time with Frank Castle.”

“No… that’s… that’s not it. I know I have to pay for what I did or I wouldn’t be here.” Karen was getting angry. This was so stupid. This was a bad idea. “These people… these people have Frank and they came after Foggy. This is more than just me. Your own Chief of Police… his wife… she’s…. she’s involved in this all. The night I…” Karen stopped. She wanted Brett to know this was not some murder in cold blood. “That night, that kid had a gun to my head. He and some other guy were trying to rob a market Frank and I were at, he-“ Karen pressed her hands onto the table and looked at Brett. “Why do you think your only witness hasn’t come forward?”

Brett looked at her. He had wondered the same damn thing.

Foggy spoke up. “Look, Karen wants to make this right. Now there is a warehouse by the old Con Edison power plant in queens full of these thugs. I know because they took me there and I-“

“Foggy stop,” Karen tried to shush him. If Frank was still around there she didn’t want the NYPD to show up before he was able to escape.

Brett’s ears perked up. “The one by the river. Used to be acanning factory?” He smirked. His mind was reeling with the potential suspects he might be able to bring in.

Foggy realized what he had done. He didn’t respond. He and Karen just folded their hands and looked down.

“You know what.” Brett thought carefully. “I’ll see what I can do. But in the meantime,” Brett looked at Karen, “Miss Page, I’m going to need to get you processed. You’re going to tell us everything you know. You leave something out, the deal is off. I’ll push for no jail time but you’re going to have to settle in.”

Brett got up and walked to the door and looked back at Karen and Foggy, “It’s gonna be a long night,” he said, and shut the door behind him.


	17. Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone offers frank a deal

It had only been a day. But it might as well have been weeks. Frank was fading in and out of consciousness. All he could remember was that in the moment he woke up, he was wishing he knew when it would end.

"Mr. Castle," he heard a low voice say, the sound of the bass echoed in his skull.

Frank opened his eyes and closed them again. He blinked a few times. The grey, the black, the white, the red. It all became an unending blur. He wanted to close his eyes. Let the darkness takeover again. At least then he could dream.

Slowly, very slowly... everything was coming into focus.

The man standing in front of him was taking shape. The outline of him, clearer. His voice, more recognizable.

"The last time I saw you, you told me... that only one of us would walk away," Wilson Fisk was standing ten feet in front of Frank. He had his hands behind his back and was wearing a sharp, expensive looking all-black suit. "But what you failed to see, Mr. Castle, is that I am not an extemporaneous man. I knew our paths would cross again, and I told you... I am here to play the long game." Fisk walked closer to Frank.

"They let you out, huh? You just... buy your way out of it? Finally got sick of that shit hole?" Frank was slurring, still waking up from the drugs they had kept him on.

"Money brings power, Mr. Castle. And powerful people only want two things. To have more power, or more money. See, I learned long ago that sometimes, we have to do certain things... certain terrible things in order to bring... a purpose. Your family is gone. You've had your vengeance, your justice, your revenge. But still you're here. You're here because... you have a new purpose..." Fisk got out his phone and pushed play on a recording.

_"Case number 6487, The People v. Karen Page, for the charge of murder in the first degree. How does the defendant plead?"_

_"Not guilty, your honor,"_

_"Let the record show that the defendant has entered a plea of not guilty. Due to the circumstances, and the fact that the defendant has willfully come forward with a voluntary confession, I will allow bail to be set at one million dollars."_

Fisk stopped the playback.

Frank was angry, huffing and breathing fast. He still couldn't believe Karen had done this. And Fisk knew. They all knew. They knew and they were enjoying it, relishing in it. And Karen, she didn't belong in prison over that kid. Frank's mind was going into overdrive. His blood pressure was rising... he was waking up... he... he should have been there. Frank felt his blood pressure suddenly drop again, his limbs grew weak. He was coming down now. His muscles were sore and he was tired again. He wanted to take Karen far away. He needed to get her out of here. He needed to turn himself in. Give them everything tell them anything they want...

Fisk was grinning now. "You look upset, Mr. Castle? About Miss Page?"

Frank didn't look at him. He stared forward, forcing himself to control his emotions.

"Maeve DeMarco would like Karen Page to pay for her crimes. But I know that the world is not so black and white. Maybe his death... maybe his death was for the greater good?" Fisk walked closer to Frank now. "Maybe we can make it... mean more? I can help you. And Miss Page. I can help you both... but only if you do this."

Frank had already agreed to help the Irish but that was different. This... this wasn't some one and done deal. Fisk's ties ran deep. This was something that he would never be able to get out of. THIS was a life sentence.

Fisk came over next to Frank and bent down to his level and looked him straight in the eyes. "She... will never be truly safe. You know that." Fisk looked to Frank's facial features, waiting for a repose. He stood up and faced away, not wanting Frank to see the sly smile that he couldn't control on his face. "As long as you work for me... nothing happens to her." Fisk turned around. He looked at Frank cold and devoid of emotion.

Frank knew what this was. He was sick and tired of being a pawn. He could get Karen out of this. It wasn't impossible. He wasn't going to be bullied. Maybe it was the drugs but he'd rather take his chances.

Frank laughed and rolled his head back, "Wow...You shittin' me? That's about the biggest load of bull-"

Suddenly Wilson Fisk punched Frank straight in the face and it knocked Frank out cold.

\---

Frank woke up and looked around.

This felt different.

Different room. Not tied down. His living room couch.

He realized both Curtis and David were looking at him worried.

"What... what did I...?" Frank stammered, trying to remember what happened.

"What did you do, Frank?" Curt asked. He looked terrified.

"What?" Frank said, still confused. He realized the TV was blaring some sort of breaking news story. He watched it. Over and over. His picture. The words 'Irish. Murder. NYPD. Bust.' So much was going on. The story was that Frank had been held there but had somehow gotten away when the NYPD showed up.

"That was Fisk... I... Wilson Fisk... he did that," Frank choked out, rubbing his head. He had a raging headache now too. Why did Fisk let him go?

David spoke up tentatively, "The guy who brought you here. He uh....He wanted me to give you something when you woke up." David got up and picked something up off the counter and handed it to Frank.

It was small and folded. Frank opened it up.

It was a picture. The one of Karen, Matt and Foggy, from Karen's apartment.

Curt and David looked at Frank.

"Where is she? Right now?" Frank asked.

David looked away in an attempt to hide the guilt in his expression.

"You let her, you let her do that?" Frank's hands balled into fists.

"Hey man... she was... she was really upset, ok?" David was going into defense mode as he could see the anger build from Frank.

"She was trying to get the heat off you man," Curt began to try and alleviate the situation. He could feel the tension building.

"It was her choice, Frank-" David started to say.

Frank stood up and slammed his fist into a wall directly next to David. "She put herself in danger! And you should have... you should have stopped her!" Frank was still coming off whatever drugs they had him on to keep him subdued and he suddenly lost his footing and slid down the wall and sat on the ground.

"I'm gonna turn myself in." Frank said. "I'm gonna go there I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna tell them it was me."

"That's not how these things work Frank, you know that," David said. "She confessed. It's all on record now. You'd just be an accomplice. She'd still get charged and you'd..." David didn't want to mention what would happen if Frank was arrested because they all knew.

"I need to talk to her. I... I need to see her." Frank was desperate. He looked at Curt and David. "Please."

Curt got out his phone and scrolled. After a few moments he found the number he was looking for. He pushed dial and waited for someone to answer. "Hey, yeah he's awake. No. He wants to talk to her." Curt waited another few seconds and then handed the phone to Frank.

Frank looked at it. Suddenly all the breath rushed out of his lungs. He forced himself up and struggled to walk a few feet away to get some privacy. He opened the door to the bathroom and shut it behind him. He was feeling dizzy and his legs were giving out so he got down and layed on the cold tile floor and waited for the silence on the phone to end.

"Frank?" A silky smooth familiar voice came through.

Frank put both hands over his eyes and immediately fought back the tears. He was so angry. And worried. But she was there. Why... why would she do this? "Karen... Karen I-"

"I'm so sorry Frank." Karen sucked in a big breath. She was also fighting back tears and he could hear her breathing hard on the line. "You were gone, and I... I just couldn't... I just needed to do something and this... it's the only way we can just be free and... I want another chance Frank. I want a chance, for us."

Frank understood. But it didn't mean he could just sit and agree to this. "I need to be there. I need to..." Frank wanted to say protect her. But a whole lot of good he had done so far, he thought. The last time he had been with his family he couldn't even protect them. So maybe he should stay away? He put the phone on his forehead and wished he could wrap her up in his arms.

"I'm safe, Frank. Maybe... in a few days..." Karen looked around. She knew that despite the cameras in the halls... maybe Micro could find a way and Frank could come see her. "I'll let you know when it's safe to come by."

Frank stayed silent for a moment, debating on whether to even tell her. "Karen... I saw..." He panicked for a moment and almost didn't say it. But he needed to. He never lied to her. "Wilson Fisk came to see me. He's the one who got me out. He wants... he wants me to work for him."

Karen's skin was suddenly on fire and she was furious, "Well I hope you told him to go to hell!!" The silence on the other line was louder than the scream echoing inside her head.

"He tried offering me a deal. In exchange for protection. For you," Frank was going to be short. He knew how Karen would respond to this.

"I don't..." Karen started. She had this conversation many times before. "I'm safe here, for now. And whatever happens, there won't be much we can do about it anyway. DON'T do this Frank, please."

Frank wanted to see her so badly, "Listen, where are you?" He was changing the subject for now.

Karen would ignore this for now. Frank was desperate sometimes and she wanted him to see for himself that she was fine. "I'm at uhh... Jessica's... family. It's an apartment, in midtown. There's security. A LOT of security. And Jessica is here. And Foggy, and Matt stopped by earlier...

Matt. It was going to be a sore subject between the two of them for a little while but Frank put that all at the back of his head. Karen had a lot she was dealing with.

"Listen, I gotta call Ellison in a few but... Frank... just... try and trust me on this ok? Foggy has a solid defense and we really think they can reduce the charges, get me a good plea deal." Karen could sense Frank's hurt over the phone.

"I don't want you taking a plea deal Karen... I want you to..." Frank suddenly felt helpless for just a brief moment.

"How about you promise me... you promise me for the next few weeks you lay low... I won't take any plea deals? I just... I need this to go to trial... I need it all to come out..." Karen waited for Frank's response.

Frank just wanted Karen out of there. He was sick of all this shit just following them around. He needed to trust her. He wanted to trust her. But he also needed to start thinking of a backup plan. "Yeah... sounds fair."

He would agree. Not going out and getting involved in shit. Just keep his head down. Wait it out. It might be a long couple weeks but it would be worth it.

"Okay," said Karen.

"Okay," Frank replied.

There was another beat of silence.

"Karen, I..." Frank paused. He knew what he wanted to say. But he couldn't. Not that he didn't want to. He just didn't know if it was the right time right now.

"Take care," Frank said, and hung up the phone.


	18. Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen finds support from many places

"Case number 6487, The People v. Karen Page, for the charge of murder in the first degree." The judge and district attorney looked over at Karen and Foggy. The judge continued, "how does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty, your honor," Karen said softly. She and Foggy had rehearsed this over and over. She knew it was all a part of what had to happen but it didn't make it any easier.

"Let the record show that the defendant has entered a plea of not guilty. Due to the circumstances, and the fact that the defendant has willfully come forward with a voluntary confession, I will allow bail to be set at one million dollars." 

Karen closed her eyes. Bail was good, but she didn't have the money or assets to make it. 

The judge finished getting everything in order and then added, "Additionally, the court requests that if the defendant does intend to post bail, she will be required to wear an electronic tracking device at all times and remain under house arrest until her court date. Is that clear Miss Page?" 

Karen nodded.

"Let the record show that the defendant has acknowledged the requirements set forth by the court." The judge looked at Foggy now. "It is my understanding you have already made arrangements for your client?"

Foggy sighed. He was still trying to work on how to make bail for Karen. "We're still... figuring that out, your honor."

"Very well. Trial is set to begin June 18th." The judge, DA, and court recorder gathered their things and exited the room.

Brett lagged behind and waited at the door until everyone else had cleared and then turned to Foggy and Karen. "It's the best I can do, for now. But I would advise you to stay away from Frank Castle." He looked at Karen directly. "He's still a wanted criminal in the eyes of the NYPD." Brett was trying to move things along as quick as possible so he could work on tracking the Irish. He looked at Foggy who was busy writing something down. "And between you and mean, your case needs to be rock solid. Don't forget that this was the Chief's son. I wouldn't expect the DA to go lightly." 

Foggy nodded and Brett left.

"Well, I'm gonna go make some calls. See what I can scrap together." Foggy looked at Karen who was staring off into the distance looking lost. "Hey... hey..." Karen finally looked up at him and Foggy put a hand on her shoulder. "It's gonna be ok. Frank might even be at his place by now. I'll call and see."

Foggy got up and left Karen alone with her thoughts.

She knew Frank would be angry. He might even try to tell the police it was him. But she needed to get him to understand. That this was the only way. The best way, for them both to move past this. From what little she knew about the law, just being at the scene of the crime and skipping town would be enough to convict her. Half of this town, most of the police... they hated The Punisher. And there wasn't anything she could do to change that. She pulled the trigger. She killed that kid. She wanted to prove to Frank that he could have some sort of faith in the justice system. That they could do things right for once.

Suddenly she felt faint again. Her mind flashed to Wilson Fisk. To Wesley. Her heart started racing and she couldn't catch her breath-

The door suddenly opened. It was Foggy again.

"It's our lucky day," Foggy said, and stepped aside. 

Jessica walked into the room. "Come on. Lets get you out of here," she said, and motioned for Karen to get up.

\----

Jessica had brought Karen to Trish's apartment after posting her bail. She and Trish had talked about it and they both had agreed that Karen needed to be somewhere safe. Somewhere only a few people would even know about. 

Trish's apartment was nice. It was in a state of the art, high security building in midtown and the court agreed it could be outfitted to satisfy the stipulations of Karen's house arrest. 

Karen sat on the guest bed and looked around. Her ankle bracelet annoyed her. She felt like she was going to go out of her mind and she hadn't even been here an hour yet. She didn't know what she was going to do with herself all day. All she wanted was keep her mind busy. She wanting to be working.

She heard a knock at the door and looked up.

It was Trish. "Hey... Jessica told me you might want this," she said, holding out Karen's laptop.

Karen got off the bed and walked to the door, "Thanks," She said, taking it from her and putting it under one arm. She stood there unsure of what to say. She didn't even know Trish and she barely knew Jessica and without a second thought they were being so kind to her. "I... I can't thank you enough for this. For all of it."

Without warning, Trish came forward and gave Karen a hug, "You're welcome," she said. The sweet embracing was unexpected and caught Karen off guard.

Karen didn't know what she had done to deserve it. She hugged Trish back cautiously.

Trish pulled away and looked at her. "I just want you to know... you're safe here."

Karen made a half smile. Something told her she would be. 

Trish was about to leave when she turned back around to Karen. "I... One more thing... Matt... is... well he's here and he... asked to see you."

Karen's heart began to race and she suddenly felt like she was going to be ill again. But she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Yeah... yeah... it's ok. Just... give me a minute I'll come out there."

Trish nodded and left Karen alone in the room.

After a few minutes Karen came out. Matt went to get up and hug her but Karen quickly sat and curled up in a chair across from him.

A few moments of silence and Matt finally spoke up. "Karen, I want to help with your case."

"Oh yeah? I didn't think they let dead men practice law?" Karen replied sarcastically. It hurt her that he wasn't even going to explain himself. Just typical Matt. Nothing surprised her anymore.

"I started the process to get myself... well to get everything back. It's going to take a few weeks but I should be clear for the trial." Matt was reading her sporadic heart rate. Her labored breathing. "Karen... you can relax... you're safe here... I-"

"You think I'm upset because of this? This is fine Matt. I don't care about THIS. Frank is out there somewhere and I..." Karen swallowed hard and looked away. Don't cry Karen. Pull yourself together.

"What happened, with you and Frank? How did-" Matt started.

"You know it's really none of your god damn business Matt," Karen spit out. 

Well that caught Matt off guard. And also, sort of simultaneously answered his question at the same time.

"I'm sorry. I just.... listen. Karen, I want to help. You need a good defensive strategy and I... I don't have anything else going on. I can do this. Full time. Give you and this case my full attention," Matt was standing now looking over at her. Pleading, almost.

Karen was still looking away. She rolled her eyes and then turned back to Matt and gave a half smile. "Okay," she said.

Matt nodded. He gathered his things. "I'll give you some time to rest and then come back tomorrow." He walked to the door and shut it. Outside the apartment he stopped. He could still hear Karen's heartbeat racing frantically. She was more than upset. She was terrified.

\---

Karen had a hard time sleeping. She would dose off for an hour or two and then wake up in a sweat, her nightmares filled with violent images of what might be happening to Frank.

In the morning she saw the paper on the counter. Trish or Jessica must have bought The Bulletin.

"BULLETIN'S OWN CONFESSES TO MURDER" by Mitchel Ellison.

Karen skimmed the article. It was an editorial, written to address the questions people were bound to have and also defend the validity of any articles that The Bulletin had previously published about the murder. A part of her knew this would happen. It still stung. She wanted to apologize to Ellison so she picked up the burner phone Jessica had left her and decided to call him. 

It only rang once before he picked up. "New York Bulletin, how can I help you?" Ellison sounded rushed.

"Hey. Hi... it's... it's Karen," She took a breath. She had no idea what he was going to say.

"Give me a moment," Ellison got up from his desk and shut the door to his office. "You read the paper yet?"

"Yeah... yeah I saw that... I know people are going to have a lot of questions..." Karen sat down and looked at her laptop on the counter. "Listen, that's actually not why I called... I wanted to say... well I wanted to apologize. I know this doesn't put you in a good position but, if there's anything I can do... research, editing... you don't have to pay me or anything I just... it's going to be a few weeks until the trial and I'm already going out of my mind." 

At first Ellison wanted to outright say no. He sighed and thought about it. "There may be... one thing... I could use your help on. But I can't give you any credit for it. And it's a little... tedious."

Karen was relieved, "Yeah, yeah whatever it is just let me know I can start working on it right away." She would be grateful, no matter how menial the task. She wanted to be useful. 

"I need someone to review every campaign contribution for the last two years. See if you can find anything... I don't know... anything that sticks out. We're full swing into the mayoral election now and I'm hearing rumblings of a third candidate that might be stepping up but I'm not sure where they'd be getting the money this late in the game." Ellison knew this was a long shot but if Karen wanted something to do, this would keep her plenty busy.

"That sounds perfect. Send the reports over as soon as you can... I'll get right on them," Karen smiled and felt a little bit better.

"Can I ask you a question though?" Ellison sat on the edge of his desk. He had the paper in his hands and looked at the photo they had printed of Karen. "How are you? Really?"

Karen sighed. She was... she wasn't great. There was a lot going on. "I'm worried about him... I'm worried about Frank. And this trial. It's just... it's hard to be stuck here. After everything." She stared out the window now into the city skyline. She let out a light laugh, "You know I met Matt and Foggy because they showed up to help defend me for a murder I didn't commit, and now here I am, needing them to defend me for one I actually did." She looked into the distance and wondered if this was just another sign that she needed to get out of the city. Maybe her short time here would be done after this.

"You want my advice?" Ellison offered. "Stick to the facts. Don't let your defense try and paint this kid as a thug. You have to remember who was with you that night. The city still has a lot of feelings about Frank Castle."

Karen understood. This was really all going to come down to her and Frank. Does someone who killed dozens of people deserve to be saved? Was his life worth more? And who was Karen to choose? 

Karen thanked Ellison again and got off the phone just as Jessica was walking in the door.

"How's my favorite murderer?" Jessica smirked.

Karen glowered at her.

"I'm joking. Kind of." Jessica set a box of pizza and a six pack on the table. "A gift from Foggy... he and Marci are also stopping by later tonight."

Karen appreciated the gesture but she just didn't feel like eating. "I'm still a little tired. I'm going to go lay down for just a bit?"

Karen grabbed her laptop and walked back to the room, leaving the door open enough to hear Jessica milling about in the kitchen. 

Karen laid down and opened her laptop and began to sort through the reports Ellison had sent her.


	19. Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen is having a hard time dealing with the trial

Acting on the information from Foggy, Brett had gathered a team together to go to the warehouse. The goal was to arrest whoever they could... the Irish... Frank Castle... anyone they could find.

Unfortunately for him, the Irish and Frank were long gone by the time the NYPD got there. Someone had tipped them off, Brett thought. Not only was he pissed, but the DA was too. In the media they pointed the finger at Karen as the one who had messed the operation up. They blamed her in the media, and the papers ate it up. Karen Page, The Punisher's twisted partner in crime. That was the story most reporters were going with.

The weeks flew by, and every day Karen became more a nervous wreck. Micro had discovered that one of Trish's neighbors had been in contact with the NYPD and was keeping a log of everyone who came and went. Pictures, dates, times... everything. 

They had tried a test run to see if looping the video feed to the cameras would allow them to sneak Frank in. But within minutes, two undercover officers from the NYPD showed up. That was when Karen realized they were using her as a way to try and catch Frank. She wasn't going to let that happen. It was frustrating, but she wouldn't be able to see him until this was all over.

It was now the day before the trial and they still had so much to do. Karen was so distressed she could hardly eat. She wanted nothing more than to lay in bed all day.

"Ok... so Karen, when the DA asks about the gun..." Marci was looking at Karen to answer.

"I was in shock, Frank said he would take care of it, and on our way out of the city I saw him throw it in the East River." Karen replied in a methodical way. They had rehearsed this over and over.

"Ok good, the DA is going to try and get you on tampering with evidence and we need to make sure that blame doesn't fall on you. Frank isn't on trial here, you are," Marci checked off the question. She was acting as DA and Foggy and Matt were taking turns rehearsing their questions. "Now, did we decide who is doing the opening statement?" Marci said and turned and looked to Foggy and Matt.

"I am." They both said simultaneously.

"Matt I think I should take the lead here, I was there with her when she confessed, I know this case inside and out," Foggy wasn't going to give this one up.

Matt nodded, "Listen I know, but if you just let me get a read on the jurors-"

"I want Foggy to do it," Karen spoke up. "It's just... he knows... I really want him to be the one. Please." Karen looked at Matt and hoped he wasn't going to be too upset. The truth was, she could depend of Foggy. Matt was still a wildcard in her eyes. He had good intentions... but... she didn't want to count on him. 

"Alright. Let's go through it all again then," Marci said.

\---

When they got to court there were dozens of reporters and protestors outside. Seeing someone hold up a sign that said "Karen KILLER Page" made Karen start to hyperventilate.

\---

Karen was in the bathroom with Jessica.

"Hey, if you're gonna be sick it's ok... this is a lot of shit to deal with," Jessica looked at her. 

Karen splashed water on her face. "I can do this. I can do this." She repeated it over and over. This was by far the hardest thing she had ever done.

But she had to do it.

"Lets go." Karen steeled herself and looked at her reflection. She looked like shit. Good. She felt like it. Better the outside match the in, she thought.

The beginning proceedings were a blur. Karen was fighting to not throw up in court. 

"Are you sure you're ok?" Matt asked for the third time that afternoon.

"I'm fine... I just want this all to be over with." Karen sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment.

Another week went by in court.

Character witnesses. Ellison. A neighbor. Senator Ori. A high school teacher of the victim.

Every one of them had a unique story to tell. But it was mostly bullshit, Karen thought. She was the only person that could tell the real truth. Two more days and she would take the stand.

Matt and Foggy felt like things were going downhill in trial after the medical examiner told how the bullet went straight through the victim's neck tissue. How he didn't die immediately but rather choked to death on his own blood. 

The prosecution was trying to paint the picture that Karen had killed the boy out of cold blood while on some sick rendezvous with Frank Castle. 

And then came the worst questions. The questions they keep asking over and over again. To elaborate on her relationship to Frank Castle. About her morals. Her judgment.

It was in court that day that the buzzing started.

Matt couldn't focus. The strange noise had come out of nowhere. The low hum filled his ears. He couldn't pin it down. A low lull. Was he going mad?

He tried to shake the noise. It continued and haunted him. But it only happened in court. Maybe it was his nerves getting the best of him? Closing statements were just days away and he was going to be questioning Karen directly. 

Karen. 

Karen... who has been hardly sleeping or eating. She looked like hell. When she was called to the witness stand she stood up shakily and walked slowly.

One.

Two.

Three steps.

On her fourth step Matt heart Karen's blood pressure plummet and knew she was about to faint. 

As he caught Karen, he heard Foggy, "Your honor, may I request a brief recess for our client?"

The judge granted a reprieve.

Matt called Claire and asked her to attend to Karen. He was worried about her. Claire came immediately.

"You need to eat something," Claire told Karen when she got there. She had her eat some crackers and take a few deep breaths. Jessica helped to hold her up. Claire looked at her and took Matt and Foggy aside.

"She's sick. She needs to go to a doctor." Claire knew Karen wasn't doing well. Whether it was grief, or nerves... this trial was taking its toll on her body.

Claire took a few vials of blood just in case and promised to check back soon. Matt thanked her. 

They managed to get trial delayed for a few days to give Karen time to feel better before going on the stand. 

When the day finally came, Karen was feeling much better. She was ready. She didn't want to lie. She just wanted to be free. She was ready for the truth. 

Karen was called to the stand and walked up and took a seat.

Matt was about to approach when Claire walked into the courtroom. She had something in her hands. Before Matt could walk forward Claire bent towards him and whispered something into this ear and gave him some papers. Matt froze for a moment. Slowly, he slid them into a folder. Claire sat down in an open spot next to Jessica and the two looked at Karen with heavy-hearted faces.

Frank was watching the proceedings with David through the feed on the court's closed circuit television. 

Matt stopped at the table and thought about his first question. He could hear Karen's heart. Slowly the low humming came back again. He shook it off and took a breath and approached the witness stand.

"Miss Page..." Matt swallowed. Karen still looked terrified. He wanted so badly to save her from all of this.

Matt started off slowly, "You admit you shot Michael DeMarco that night?" The question was unrehearsed. It took Karen off guard.

"Yes," Karen said, a little too close to the microphone. Her voice boomed loud for the court to hear.

"You had no other choice? No other option?" Matt walked closer. 

Karen didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She looked at him in confusion. This wasn't what they had gone over. She was getting angry at Matt now and steeled her eyes at him in frustration. 

Matt didn't care. This needed to happen. It needed to be done. His next question had Karen giving him a look of betrayal. "What made Frank Castle's life more valuable?" Matt asked blankly. 

Karen wanted to run away. She wanted to scream.

Matt looked away and addressed the jury. "Love... ladies and gentlemen... will make you do some pretty scary things. That night...Karen Page wasn't protecting herself. She wasn't protecting The Punisher. She wasn't even protecting Frank Castle."

Matt knew Karen might not forgive him for this. But it had to happen this way. He took another deep breath.

Matt turned around and opened the blue folder on the desk. He took out the papers he had put in there and walked up to Karen and gave her one. She barely registered him whispering "I'm sorry."

"Medical records, your honor." He gave a copy to the judge. 

Karen looked at it but wasn't quite sure what she was reading. 

"And proof... That Karen Page was just doing what any woman in love might do. She was protecting a man who in all respects, could be considered family."

Karen now realized what she was holding and looked up in sadness and shock. Silently tears flowed without regard. 

Matt turned back Karen. "She was protecting father of her unborn child." 

The court erupted in gasps and shock.

Matt heard that flutter ringing in his ears. That little heartbeat. The low humming was vivid and louder now more than ever now.

"Order! Order in the court!" The judge banged the gavel to no avail. "Recess! All parties. My office! Now!" 

Everyone was clearing the courtroom. Karen sat staring at the piece of paper.

POSITIVE

It was there. In big letters. How did he...? Why... Karen was still so confused.

Everything was moving in slow motion now.

Eventually Foggy walked over and lent her a hand to help her down from the witness stand. Karen looked up and wasn't quite sure where to start.

"He didn't want you to find out this way but he knew you if he told you first, you wouldn't have allowed him to use it in our defense." Foggy looked at her sadly. He felt terrible for how this was all happening. 

Karen was still in shock and tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't move.

\-----

Frank watched her on the monitor. He was.... he was... shocked. Sad. For Karen. Angry. The whole world knew. Now Karen had a target on her back. And a child? His head began to spin. No... no... it couldn't be true. Was this real? 

David watched him get up, moving methodically but he had a look on his face like he was in a day dream. "Frank.... Frank where are you going?"

Frank was gathering his things. Gun. Jacket. Keys. Wallet.

"Hey whatever you're about to do right now just think about it Frank! Frank!" It was pointless. Frank was out the door and driving away. 

David wondered where Frank was going. He had the tracker rigged to Frank's car. He typed in a few keystrokes that brought up a map and a little blue dot. And bit his nails and felt the slightest bit of relief as he watched the dot turn right. And then right again. And for a little while it went straight. But then it stopped. David waited a moment. Still stopped. Frank was just down the street. David zoomed in to populate the names of the nearby businesses. 

*GPS DISABLED* flashed across the screen.

"God damnit Frank!" David slammed his hands down on the desk in frustration. 

David couldn't just sit here. He decided to go see his family. He also wanted to tell Sarah about what had happened. If she didn't hear it from the news already.


	20. Prayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank makes a long overdue visit

Frank had never really believed in god. At one time, when he was younger, his parents made him go to church. But as soon as he felt like he had a choice, he stopped. Maria made him go a few times. Both of his kids had been baptized. It wasn't something that was ever a very big deal to him and he couldn't remember having a moment in his life that was some big spiritual revelation. 

But here he was. Was this praying? Was this him believing in an afterlife?

He didn't really think about what happened, after we were gone. He couldn't think about it. But now, he felt like it mattered. Now he needed to get it out.

He had been haunted by the terrible memories of the carousel and that day in the park, but that was over. That was done. His family... he didn't ever really think about where they were now.

Frank had driven around all afternoon thinking about what he had just heard. Karen was pregnant. He was going to be a father. Again. Family. Karen was family now. He kept pushing off everything he was feeling for so long and now... now it was all rushing back, wave after crashing wave. 

He found himself at the cemetery. He stopped the car and for a moment was mentally wrestling with getting out. He opened the door but didn't budge and then slammed it again. Half of him fighting to stay and half fighting to go face them. To face his family. Their graves up on the hill. He grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and screamed at the top of his lungs and shook violently. One. Two. Three. Get out of the car. Get out of the car. Just do it. Just do it you pussy. GET OUT OF THE FUCKING CAR, he told himself.

\---

He found himself walking up the hill. He fell to his knees in the grass in front of the headstone and breathed heavy and hard. Even if he wanted to stand, he couldn't have. His legs had given out. Every nerve ending in his body felt like it was on fire. 

It was serene though. The tree they were under gave just enough shade and the birds chirped only loud enough to drown out the noise of the city. 

He had never done this. Never had a reason to. But if he was going to mean it, he wanted to make sure he got it all out there.

"You know... " he started slowly, somewhat unsure of his own voice, "when Lisa was born, I didn't know it was possible to be so in love with someone so...instantly." He snapped his fingers. "Just like that. I saw her for the first time and she just... looked up at me with those big brown eyes. I know they say babies can't smile that fast but I coulda sworn... I coulda sworn she smiled at me. Like she knew my voice? And I remember... my chest... the way it just became so full it was like there was something crushing me from inside... and just looking at her it made me feel... like I was never gonna be able to fully breathe again. Like the air around me was always gonna be so thick that I just couldn't swallow, yeah? When I first held her in my arms I was drowning, I was swimming in it.

And Frank Jr was born... and... I was so damn proud. He was like... this little miniature version of me... the best parts... my little boy... he was so innocent. And quiet. Didn't scream... he was... just so calm. I looked at him... you know right down to his little chin and his cheek bones... and his ears." Frank breathed in heavy and started to break down. "You remember those little ears?" Frank had tears running down his cheeks now.

"I looked at him... and I... I said to the doc... that's my son. That's my son. And after that I walked out into the hall to show him off to all the guys... I said 'look at him... this is MY son'... " Frank let out a sad laugh through tears, "you got so mad at me because I didn't want to put him down. But he was just so small..." Frank put a hand on his face and rubbed his forehead.

"How am I... How do I do this now? I can't do it again. I can't go through that. I can't... I can't... I can't..." Frank was sitting now and had both of his hands on his head.

He looked up at Maria's name on the grave, sobbing now. "What if I can't protect her? Huh? What if I'm not here? What if I'm gone? I don't know how to do this. I need you... I need you to look after her. To tell me when I'm doing something wrong... tell me when I'm being an asshole... I need you to help me! Please... please... I..."  he bit through his tears. 

"I need you guys..." Frank glanced at Frank Jr and Lisa's names on the headstone too... "I need you to look after your little brother or sister... I need you to... " 

Frank collapsed and laid on the grass looking up at the sky, eyes rimmed red and face flushed. 

"Keep 'em safe. Please. Just... just keep 'em safe."


	21. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations are made

Trish, Jessica, Foggy, Marci, and Matt were all sitting in Trish's living room. 

The trial had been postponed until later on that afternoon. The press was having a field day. Karen was still in shock and just wanted to be alone.

They had all come back to Trish's place and sat there, silently reflecting on the events of that morning. Karen had gone straight to her room. Everyone else was left to wonder what this meant for the case.

Matt felt like he needed to say something. "The jury-"

Jessica gave Matt an angry, cold stare. "Are you trying to give me another reason to hit you?"

Everyone looked to Matt with a similar agitated stare.

Now that everyone knew about Karen and Frank, it put Karen in a whole new world of danger. It put everyone near her in danger.

"We need to get jail time completely off the table," Foggy spoke up. "We need a not guilty verdict."

"But... she isn't guilty...we all just heard that. They would have killed him. New York State law has protections against this kind of thing right?" Trish was confused.

Marci took a deep breath. "It's more complicated than that. 

 

\----

Karen was in her room on her laptop going over the campaign contribution reports again. She drummed her fingers on her temple in an attempt to focus. Everything she found turned into a dead end. It was clean. She had looked through this report for weeks. Backwards, forwards. There wasn't anything there. Had Ellison just given her a dead lead? Or was his information bad?

She looked at her phone next to the bed. She knew she was going to have to face the music sometime. Might as well give The Bulletin the exclusive, she thought.

Karen let out a long breath and sat up. She scrolled through the contacts and then clicked dial and secretly hoped it would go to voicemail, as she was already regretting this.

It only rang once before a voice said "Karen?" 

Ellison had picked up. 

"Yeah... yeah it's me." Karen softly replied.

Ellison wasn't sure where to start. He waited a moment and then tip-toed the conversation. "So is it true?"

Karen scoffed, "I don't even know what to say." She didn't know how to explain it. "I didn't know Matt was going to do that. And I don't know why..." No, she thought. That was wrong. "I know why he didn't but it doesn't make what he did any less wrong."

Ellison was listening to her. He had a pencil and legal pad in front of him but didn't write anything down. He didn't want to ask Karen for an official comment, and he knew he couldn't in good conscience publish anything she was telling him unless she agreed to it.

"So... I know I sort of owe you one..." Karen grinned slightly. She knew Ellison was too nice to ask her.

"You don't have to do this now if you don't want to," Ellison offered.

"But I do... Eventually. So come on. Get it over with." Karen rolled her eyes.

"What are you going to do?" Ellison picked up the pencil and waited for her response.

"The same I've been doing everyday. I'm focused on proving that what I did wasn't..." Karen stopped. She knew this article would be fast tracked and published on the Bulletin's website within the honor. Control the narrative, she thought. "I wouldn't have come forward if I didn't feel guilty. Or remorse... for how it all happened. But in this town you... you can't just go around threatening people's lives. No matter who they are. Everyone means something to someone." 

Ellison finished scribbling the last part down.

Karen wasn't sure what else she wanted to say. She needed to be careful. She knew Frank had a lot of enemies. And Wilson Fisk was a free man now. He could-

Karen stopped. She opened her computer back up to the reports. "Wait... Ellison you... you heard about a potential third candidate?"

Ellison was confused. "Yeah... yeah everyone's talking about it but I'm beginning to think it's just a bunch of baloney. I mean, if they haven't announced by now-"

"The reports you gave me. I've searched them over and over again and there's nothing there. There's no money going to this... this person... from anywhere. Anywhere that can be tracked at least." Karen was still thinking. If she was right, this was big. 

"But how would someone..." Ellison trailed off.

"Say... say someone had enough money... they wouldn't need a campaign... or a fundraiser... or donors..." Karen massaged her temples. This was going to be a nightmare.

Ellison was skeptical. "Yeah but who has that kind of money to just throw around? We're talking millions of dollars here... and little to no chance it would even pay off. There's an incumbent... getting involved this late in the game... it would be ridiculous-" 

"Fisk. It's Fisk. It's got to be. I think... I think he's planning to run for mayor." Karen knew it had to be. 

It was at that moment that Ellison heard the TV cut through and looked up.

"Breaking News to report. I'm Dawna Willows with WHiH and we're here outside city hall where a major announcement in the mayoral election is about to take place. Sources say that former crime boss Wilson Fisk is about to announce his plans to run for mayor. This comes just weeks after his release from federal prison for multiple charges..."

Karen could hear the TV on in the living room and blankly put the phone down to walk over and go watch.

Everyone was staring at the TV in shock as Wilson Fisk came on the screen and began to speak.

"This city... needs help. The corruption, the scandals. This city needs justice! I am willing to admit... that I was once a part of the problem. I've had time to... re-evaluate my choices. I know better know. I have served my time and I have learned what this city needs. What it truly needs. This city... needs their heroes. The heroes that keep you safe. That help you sleep at night. And when I'm elected mayor, I will work with the Commission, the Chief of Police, and the NYPD to make sure every part of New York has a hero protecting them. Together, we are going to make New York better!"

The crowd erupted in a roaring applause.

"Jesus Christ," said Foggy with a look of horror in his eyes.

Reporters began to ask questions. Wilson Fisk looked smug as he eloquently answered them all, one by one.

Trish spoke up, "I don't get it... Does he really think he could win? Why do this? Why now? And what does he mean, a hero in every part of New York?"

"Fisk would do just about anything to get what he wants. He's been rubbing elbows with the corrupt elite of the city for years." Matt and Foggy looked at each other with concern. 

A reporter had stepped forward to ask Fisk a question. "Mr. Fisk, what are your thoughts on the Karen Page case?"

Fisk looked into the camera. "I think it's shocking that such a... lovely young woman would have been in a situation where she felt forced to have to commit such a vicious act. From my understanding The Punisher has only ever killed dangerous criminals. So in a way... this city owes her. And people like her, willing to make those hard choices. I would hope after today's... revelations... there would be... a change of heart, for the district attorney." Fisk continued to stare into the camera.

Karen had chills. She was disgusted. She was going to be sick.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The group looked around. No one knew who it could be. They weren't expecting company.

Jessica rolled her eyes and huffed, "I guess I'll get it then." She got up and walked to the door. "God I hope I get to punch someone today," she mumbled under to breath.

She opened the door carefully. When she realized what it was she opened the door completely. It was a man holding a large vase of flowers.

"Delivery, for Karen Page." The man said, and handed the flowers to Jessica and left.

Jessica stood in the door with the giant arrangement and turned to set it on the counter.

Suddenly Foggy's phone started to ring. He stepped to the side of the room to take it.

Karen looked at the flowers. They looked extravagant. And expensive. 

Jessica found the small card in the center and handed it reluctantly to Karen. 

Karen turned it over. 

"Every moment of light and dark is a miracle."

Karen didn't need to know who the flowers were from. She wanted to throw them across the room. She wanted to scream.

"Karen..." Foggy walked up to her after putting his phone away. "That was the DA..."

Karen and everyone else looked to Foggy. 

"They want to reduce the charges," Foggy said concerned. "They want to make a deal."

Karen looked at Foggy confused. And moments later she was angry.

Fisk. 

Fisk was using his connections already. And now she was an unwilling participant in Fisk's bullshit.

**Author's Note:**

> I love comments!


End file.
